Crossing Lines
by Jason Bond
Summary: An ancient race, the Legendora, call upon Starfleet, the Earth Alliance, the Interstellar Alliance, and the brave crew of the EDF Yamato called the Star Force to help them defeat their enemy, the Ragendora! All 100 chapters are up!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

**To Dream Of Things To Come**

Babylon 5

Earth Alliance Space Station

January 22, 2271

5:30am Earth Standard Time

Captain Elizabeth Loughley arose to the sound of her alarm going off in her quarters, and shook her head to help clear her mind from the intense dream she had just been experiencing in her sleep. She arose from her bed and made her way to the bathroom, where she took full advantage of having one of the few water showers on the station. The hot water didn't last long in the shower, but she used every second of her allotment of it to help clean her body and clear her mind.

Once done with washing up, she brushed her teeth in the mirror and began to think over the dream she had. She could only remember a few details,  
but she remembered the feeling that the dream was almost real. She could only remember being on an alien world, perhaps Minbar, but there were none of the familiar bone-crested, bald headed Minbari around. Instead,  
there was a woman, seemingly Human, with long blond hair and a long,  
flowing blue dress. Loughly remembered talking with the woman, and the woman responding, but the actual words of what were said escaped her.

Loughley decided to forget about the dream and get herself dressed and ready herself for the day. The automated coffee pot had already brewed up the freeze-dried instant java that she had managed to acquire from a trader on a run from Orion 7, and she poured herself a big cup. After a brief glance at the clock, she decided to take a few moments to finish up the chapter of the book that she had been reading the night before.

It was then that the flash of light overcame her, and when it ended, she was on the world in her dreams.

It definitely looked like Minbar, what with the crystalline structures of the city in the foreground similar to the ones in Tuzinor, the only city on Minbar that she had visited. It was the home of the Interstellar Alliance, born out of the ashes of the Shadow War, now ten years gone.  
However, the skyline was definitely different from that of where her ex-husband, who was also the former commander of Babylon 5 and current president of the Alliance, and his current wife resided with their son.

Loughley began to walk towards the city, and she took note of the many differences. The city lacked the various gardens and fountains found in the typical Minbari city, and the sky was a different shade of blue than that found on Minbar. It felt warmer as well, especially as she made her way to the heart of the city.

It seemed to be deserted, void of any life whatsoever. However, she suspected that someone was here, and that it was the woman in her dreams. She turned the corner and saw that the dominant structure of the city, a palace of some sort, was before her. It was on the top of a small hill, and as she made her way up towards it, she saw something move out of the castle. Just like she was expecting, it was the woman of her dreams.

They made an interesting contrast: Loughley's brunette hair and athletic body to the lithe blond hair of this woman before her. However, despite appearances, the lithe woman radiated a strength that impressed her.

Loughley managed to speak to her, "Who are you?"

The blond woman smiled and spoke with a voice as soft as a whisper, "My name is Starsha, and this planet that you are on is Iscandar."

Loughley shook her head, because she had never heard of such a planet.  
"Why am I here?"

"You are here because I need to tell you something. There is a war coming, a war that is unlike anything any of you have ever seen before."

"War? Are you talking about the Drakh?"

Starsha smiled and said, "No, they are nothing compared to the enemy that you and your friends and allies will be facing soon. I know about the plague that afflicts your world at present, and I am working to find a cure for it."

"You are?"

Starsha nodded, "Uh huh. I did it before, ages ago, on another Earth.  
But the people that saved that Earth will be arriving shortly in their ship. When they arrive, you must make your way to Minbar, because they will be needed there."

Loughley shook her head, finding what she was saying hard to believe,  
"We're not ready for a new war. The Alliance is having a hard enough time with the Drakh, and this would just be too much."

Starsha placed her arm on Loughley's, as to reassure her. "You will have allies coming to help you soon enough. This war will not be against you alone, but it will be across many different universes. Come with me and I'll show you."

They entered the palace and made their way to a conference room. With the wave of her hand, Starsha dimmed the lights in the room and a three-dimensional projection began to come to life. Pictures of alien worlds came into being, as well as alien ships above the planet's atmosphere.

"Long ago, there were races old and wise. One of them was called the Legendora, beings that eventually evolved into beings of light and energy. They began to explore the universe, and soon found a way to transcend time and space, crossing the lines of the dimensions and watching the various universes develop."

With another wave of her hand, the picture changed, and ships began to fight other ships. "However, the Legendora were not without conflict,  
and a large group of them broke away from the main race and formed their own civilization. They called themselves the Ragendora, and it wasn't long until they began to fight against their brethren. They sought to use the abilities of crossing lines to conquer and enslave the various worlds. Much like the Vorlons and Shadows of your own universe, their war has flashed on and off many times over the millennia."

Another wave of the hand by Starsha, and the room slowly filled with light again. Starsha took Loughley's hand into hers and said, "I have chosen three people to communicate this with. You are the first, the second is well known to me, and the third will be contacted soon enough.  
You will know when the time to prepare arrives."

Loughley looked at her confused and asked, "How will I know?"

"Look for an ancient battleship to come through the portal, and you will know then that the time to act has arrived."

"Captain!"

Loughley blinked and found herself back in her quarters. Chief Warrant Officer Zach Allen, the head of security on Babylon 5, was in her quarters, as well as several members of her staff along with a half-dozen security officers.

"What? What happened?"

Allen touched the communications link on the back of his hand, "Allen to C and C. We're in the captain's quarters, and she's come to."

"Confirmed. Moriyama out."

The fog began to lift from Loughley's brain when she heard the voice of her executive officer, Commander Yuki Moriyama, on the link, and she pulled herself into a sitting position. She felt a little dizzy, but none the worse for wear. She touched her own link and called her exec,  
"Loughley to Moriyama, what's are status?"

"Moriyama here. Status green. The only action we've had is your no-show in the observation dome here in command and control. Is everything alright, captain?"

"I think so, but I'll stop by Medlab to get checked out. I think I just blacked out for some reason."

"I was just about to suggest the same thing, captain. Let me know what the doc says when he's done poking and prodding you. Moriyama out"

Loughley snickered shortly and turned off the link. "Chief Allen, please have my staff escorted to the conference room next to my office and I'll be there after the exam in Medlab and after briefing Commander Moriyama."

"Yes, Captain." Allen then motioned for everyone to exit the room,  
leaving Loughley alone in her room. Before leaving, she tapped her link again and got Moriyama. "Moriyama, go private."

Moriyama inserted an earpiece into her ear and replied, "Go ahead,  
Captain."

"Set scanners to monitor Sector 14. Let me know about the least little thing unusual that happens."

"Yes, Captain. Not expecting Babylon 4 back, are we," kidded Moriyama.

"Commander, after the dream I had, I just don't know. Just let me know if anything changes, ok?"

That sobered Moriyama, "Yes, Captain. I'll link in ASAP if anything changes before the briefing."

"Good. Loughley out." She tapped her link off and reached down to close the book she had been reading when she focused on one particular word on Page 233 of the book: Yamato.

"Yamato," she pondered upon briefly, then made her way out of her quarters and to Medlab.

**Queentown, Iscandar **

**Royal Palace **

**Time Unknown**

Queen Starsha made her way back from the transmission office and back to her personal office. She looked over the skyline of the city, which was the capital of the planet that she ruled. Outside, the populace was busy with their myriad affairs of the day.

Why she was here was a mystery to her.

Her last memory before arriving here was of triggering the explosive devices planted deep inside her homeworld's core as the forces of the Dark Nebulan Empire sought to claim her world for it's mineral wealth.  
She had sent her husband, Alex Wildstar, and their child, Sasha, away to board the space battleship Yamato, so that the last living Iscandarian would survive.

However, she knew that the prophecy would not let Sasha live long. She grew quickly, and, raised aboard the Yamato, she helped aid the Star Force as it traveled to the Dark Nebulan homeworld to deactivate the trigger for the neutron bomb that would have wiped out all life on Earth. Sasha had helped the brave crew of the Yamato defeat the Dark Nebulans, but it was at the cost of her life.

Speaking of Sasha, she entered the office with some paperwork and paused to wait for her mother to notice her. Like all Iscandarians, she had grown up fast. At what would have been three Earth years old, she resembled more of a young human female of twenty one than anything else.

"Mother, the others are waiting for your report. Father just got back from the shipyards, and says the new ships will be ready soon."

Starsha nodded and got out of her chair, taking the papers from her daughter and walking beside her out of the room.

"Is something wrong, mother?"

"I'll talk about it later, my dear. Right now, we have matters to attend to. But I need to talk to someone about all of this, and you're the only one who'll understand."

Sasha nodded and replied, "Yes, mother. I don't understand all of this myself, only that we are here for a reason."

Starsha didn't reply, as they entered the conference room, where she put down the paper work on the table, pulled out a chair, and seated herself. Beside her, to her right, was her Human husband, Alex, who looked dashing in his old Earth Defense Force uniform. To her left sat Sasha, who looked towards the end of the table.

A man in a dark brown cloak spoke to Starsha, "I trust that the communication went well?"

"Yes, Valen, it did. I told her the information that we agreed to communicate with her and I am convinced that she understood it and will do what is needed."

Valen nodded, and removed the cowl covering his head, which revealed the bone crest of his Minbari head. "Good. Alex, have you been able to get through to your brother, Derek?"

Alex sighed, and replied, "Yes and no. I told him what you all said that he should know, but I am not sure that he bought it. However, I did learn from him that the Yamato is in the general area where he needs to be to pick up the signal."

Valen nodded again, pleased despite the minor setback. "That's all that is needed for now.," he said, and looked across the table to the dark skinned Human sitting across from him. "Ben, have you been able to get through to your old exec?"

Ben sighed, leaned back in his chair, and looked above Valen briefly,  
taking the time to contemplate what he was going to say. "It's been tricky, because Nurys isn't as devote to the Bajoran religion as she once was. My death hit her hard, and she's been struggling with it ever since. The political situation on Bajor and in the Federation is tricky at the moment. But she sees me as the Emissary, and she took what I had to say to heart. She'll be ready for what is to come."

The being at the end of the table looked towards Starsha and spoke, "It is as we had dared hoped, Starsha. This coming conflict will be difficult, because the Rajendora don't just want to see the death of my race, but the death of all those who would seek to oppose their will."

He stood up and spread his hands wide, gesturing to them all, "You all have done better than we Legendora had hoped, but there is much more that needs to be done. The time is drawing near when my prodigal brethren will strike, and we must be ready for them."

Starsha nodded and said, "And we shall be ready for them."

**Babylon 5 **

**Earth Alliance Space Station **

**January 22, 2271**

** 9am EST**

Doctor Esteban Torres looked over the scans again, shaking his head again. "I don't know what to say, Captain. I've run every test I could think of, but nothing can explain why you blacked out. Is there anything else you want to tell me about this?"

Before she could say anything, Commander Yuki Moriyama walked into the office. "Captain, Doctor, we need to talk. It's about what you told me earlier, Captain."

Torres replied, "Well, she's fit to go back on duty, as far as I am concerned, but what did she tell you about earlier?"

Loughley looked at the both of them, then looked around the Medlab office, "Not here, Doc. I know you trust your staff, but I don't think I trust anybody save you two to this. Come with us, Doc, because I need to see if I'm crazy or if something bigger is going on."

Once there, Loughley told Dr. Torres and Commander Moriyama all about the dream, then Moriyama reported about what she had found out about Sector 14. "We picked up this recording coming from there. It comes from approximately twelve years ago, shortly after B5 broke away from the Earth Alliance when President Clark declared martial law." She placed a data crystal into the player and the vid screen began to play the message."

The message was from Commander Susan Ivanova, then the executive officer of the station. It was from the "captain's office" in command and control, and it overlooked the main station in the observation dome.

"Can anyone help us? This is commander Susan Ivanova of Babylon 5. To any ships in grid epsilon. We are under attack. I repeat, we are under attack. The captain is dead, defense grid is down, they are boarding us,  
they are coming in all over the place. We've tried to evacuate as many as we can, and Garibaldi has rigged the fusion reactor, but.. my god,  
here they come. Switch to external cameras."

When the camera switched to the external view, the space was filled with Shadow vessels as well as scores of fighters. The very sight of those ships made Loughley's skin crawl, even though she never had to face them in battle. The descriptions of them she'd learned of them over the years had run ice down her spine on each occasion.

Ivanova then got a look of sheer terror on her face, "They've got weapons lock. Here comes. Here comes. Aah!" The picture went to static.

Moriyama coughed, then spoke, "Captain, that message has been repeating on and on for hours now. It happened before, twelve years ago, right before the disappearance of Ambassador Sinclair."

Loughley gave a look to her exec, "There's more, isn't there?"

Moriyama sighed, and her classic Japanese female features belied the strength underneath, because what she was about to say seemed unbelievable to her. "We got a reply, Captain. It's from a ship called Yamato." She inserted a new crystal into the player.

"This is Captain Derek Wildstar of the Space Battleship _Yamato_. We are on our way. Hang in there, Babylon 5."

Loughley's face went white with shock. "It's happening, isn't it"  
Moriyama's lips went tight. "It would appear so, captain."

Torres, having been silent for most of the meeting, finally spoke, "When Doctor Frankin recommended me for this place, he warned me about weird thing happening here, but I was never prepared for this! Makes me yearn to be back in Buenos Aires practicing at the base there again!"

The threesome let out a brief cackle of laughter, breaking the tension briefly, but then the link of Moriyama's hand beeped.

"Moriyama, go"  
"Sir? I just wanted to let you know that the _E.A.S. Titans_ has just arrived. Captain Ivanova wanted to let Captain Loughley know that she'll be over shortly."

"Confirmed. Moriyama out."

Loughley took in a deep breath and exhaled, then chuckled, "This is gonna seem strange, but I am really glad that she showed up here."

Moriyama replied, "You and me both, sir."

Torres nodded, "And I'll third that motion!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Unexpected Visitors**

**  
**

**Earth Defense Force **

**Space Battleship _Yamato_**

** March 22, 2203 **

**6am**

Captain Derek Wildstar entered the mess hall, yawning and trying to come to life. He had been sleeping hard these last several days, and his dreams had been confusing his mind in his off duty hours. His fiancée,  
Nova Forester, was beside him as they took their place in the morning breakfast line.

"What's wrong, Derek? You've been very quiet lately. Is something the matter," Nova inquired.

"I'm not sure, Nova. I've been dreaming a lot lately about my brother,  
Starsha, Sasha, and Iscandar. I can't for the life of me understand what the dream is all about, but it seems like something major is about to happen."

They made their way to the servers, and they both pretty much ate the same thing: sausages, ham, eggs, home fries, fruit, and coffee. Derek didn't think much of his wife eating as much as she did, because she has an incredibly fast metabolism, which didn't bother him in the least because it allowed her to keep her slim, trim figure. But he also knew that, while she looked like a weak woman without much muscle tone, she was a real pain to battle with in a fight.

They made their way to a table at the far side of the hall, and the rest of the morning shift gave them a wide berth out of respect for their privacy. This crew, for the most part, had been together since the beginning, when they made that mad dash to Iscandar for the cure to the radiation poisoning that was killing off all life on Earth. Since then,  
they had faced and defeated two other major enemies, and now Earth seemed to be at relative peace with the universe.

But the cost was high, as Derek knew all too well. Captain Abraham Avatar was the biggest loss, as this was his command when they made their journey to Iscandar. He had managed to survive it all, despite the radiation sickness that was slowly killing him. He made it long enough to see Earth again, and then silently passed away aboard ship, in his quarters. To this day, no one had been billeted in them, and as far as the crew was concerned, no one ever would again.

Derek and Nova ate in relative silence for a while, watching the members of the morning shift come in and out as they grabbed a bite to eat before heading off to their duty stations.

Derek was the first to break the silence, "You know, it never fails that I expect some of those we've lost to come through that door."

Nova sighed, "I know. It seems like just yesterday we were taking off for the first time and heading out, not knowing if we'd be back in time to save Earth."

"Mind if we join you," said Mark Venture, Derek's best friend and Yamato's chief pilot. Stephen Sandor, chief science officer and engineer, also joined him.

Derek nodded and replied, "Sure, guys. What's up?"

Mark and Stephen sat down, and Stephen was the first to speak, "I just came back from the radar room. It seems as if they've picked up some kind of disturbance in sector 78."

"Any idea what it could be," said Derek.

"Not sure. It's in an area that's pretty much remote from any planets with life on them, so I'm not sure if it's a danger to anyone yet. What we have been getting is a signal from the disturbance. It's too weak to make out, but it has the appearance of a distress signal.," replied Stephen.

Derek, looking down at his now-empty platter, took his napkin and wiped his mouth, then rose up and asked Nova, "Are you finished, dear?"

Nova was in mid-bite when he asked that, but she instantly recognized the look on his face, and nodded to him. She was pretty much finished anyway, but she was one who always cleaned her plate. Together, they made their way to the dishwashers, where they put in their platters and walked back to Mark and Stephen.

Mark and Stephen were wolfing down their meals, and Derek only said,  
"I'm heading up to the bridge. I'll see you two guys up there."

They two guys nodded and continued their eating, as Nova and Derek made their way out of the mess hall and toward the elevator that would take them to the bridge. They stepped inside the car, where they were alone with each other. Nova turned to Derek and asked, "Does this have something to do with your dreams?".

Derek looked off into space for a few moments, then turned to the woman he loved and told her, "I believe so. One of the images in my dream is a portal in space, and we have to go through it. I don't know why, but we have to enter it."

**Earth Alliance Starship _Titans_, Warlock-class destroyer **

**In orbit above Episilon 3 and approaching Babylon 5 **

**January 22, 2271 **

**12:30pm Earth Standard Time**

Captain Susan Ivanova looked out at her main view screen at the station that was her home for four years as executive officer. First to Commander Jeffery Sinclair, then to her mentor, Captain John Sheridan,  
she served in the most turbulent times in the galaxy's history. She remembered her thoughts when she first boarded the station so many years ago, thinking this was just another temporary assignment before she got her own command.

In those four years, she was a part of events that dramatically altered the shape of life in the galaxy. They seceded from the Earth Alliance,  
went back in time to save Babylon 4, fought against two ancient races for control of the galaxy, then battled and defeated the fascist regime of President William Morgan Clark to free Earth. She had almost fallen in love with a woman, but then that woman was revealed to be a sleeper agent for Psi Corps, the almost omniscient agency for telepaths that had turned sinister in recent times. To make her heartbreak complete, she had almost fallen in love with a Ranger, Marcus Cole, but then she was mortally wounded in the last days of the civil war, and he had saved her by sacrificing his own life by giving her all of his life energy thanks to an alien device that was originally used for executions, but was adapted to save lives by Doctor Stephen Franklin, then the chief medical officer on the station.

It had been years since she had been promoted to captain and given the first Warlock-class ship to command. Her reasons for taking it were to get away from the station and the memory of Marcus. There were still nights, in the privacy of her quarters, where she still cried her eyes out over his loss. She never let herself breakdown in front of the crew,  
instead switching on that cold, hard personality that she had honed back aboard the station she was looking at now.

Her executive officer, Commander Henri LaCoste, came up to her,  
"Captain, Babylon 5 just hailed us and Captain Loughley sent a message.  
She says, 'I'm looking forward to your visit and your crew is more than welcome to take shore leave here.' Any reply, captain?"

Ivanova nodded and said, "Acknowledge the message and tell them I'm on my way over. As for shore leave, wait about 24 hours and I'll let you know."

"Yes, Captain.," nodded LaCoste and he went back to his station.

Soon after, Ivanova was by herself in a Thunderbolt fighter, enjoying the brief flight between the ship and the station. She, like her mentor Sheridan and her first commanding officer on the station, Sinclair,  
loved to get out in a Star Fury and fly around. Granted, she got her nose bloody a few times along the way, but she also knew that she walked away, save once, from every battle.

All too quickly, she turned over control of her fighter to command and control and let them guide her ship into the immense docking structure.  
Once she was docked and out of her flight suit, Captain Elizabeth Loughley met her. They made their way to Loughley's quarters, talking about professional stuff and current events, especially about the plague that the Drakh had released on Earth three years earlier.

"So what's the latest from Excalibur," inquired Ivanova.

Loughley sighed and admitted, "Not much. Gideon is still running here and there trying to find anything he can that would give us a cure, but he's had no luck. He's due back here in a few weeks for a resupply, so hopefully I'll know more of what's going on then."

They made their way into her quarters and dropped the professional act,  
embracing like old friends.

"God I've missed you, Liz! It seems like you're one of the few people I can talk to about all of what's going on."

"I know. It seems like ever since this place got built, all hell has to break loose on a regular basis! So how have you been, Susan?"

"Fine. Could be better, could be worse. So he's due back in a few weeks,  
eh? Anything special planned," winked Ivanova.

Loughley blushed, "I've not had much time to plan anything, but I'll come up with something."

Ivanova patted her friend on the back and said, "Just be sure to let me know when the wedding is, ok?"

Loughley threw back her head and laughed, "Getting a little ahead of ourselves, aren't we?"

Ivanova smiled and sobered quickly, "I'm serious, Liz. I missed out on falling in love with two special people and having them taken away from me before I could do anything about it. I know that I'll never be able to love anyone else again after Marcus, but it would make me happy to see you with Matthew."

Loughley's eyes misted over and she had a little trouble responding.  
"Thanks, Susan. I'll keep that in mind. Speaking of Marcus, are you going to see him while you're here?"

Ivanova sighed and walked away for a moment, then turned back to Loughley, "Yeah, I will. Sheridan said to me not too long ago that I should move him to Minbar so that they could better take care of him,  
but I just feel like he'd want to be here instead."

"Do you want to go see him now?"

"No, not right now. I'm not ready yet for that. I'll be staying a few days anyway so the crew can blow off some steam."

"Ok, then. You can stay here, if you'd like. Lord knows that I'm not in here that much..."

That's when the flash of light hit Loughley again.

Loughley was in a room overlooking the city that was in the flash earlier in the day. Starsha was there, sitting behind a desk. With her was a dark haired man in a military uniform, as well as a shorter blond that looked to be Starsha's daughter.

"The time draws near, Elizabeth. Look for the ship to come through the portal soon."

"How soon," asked Loughley.

"Very soon. Just wait for them to appear, then head to Minbar."

The flash of light came again, and she was back in her quarters aboard Babylon 5.

"Elizabeth? Are you all right," asked Ivanova, with a worried look on her face.

Loughley looked shocked for a moment, then walked over to the couch and motioned for Ivanova to join her. "I've been having strange dreams as of late, and I don't know what it all means. Care to hear about them?"

Ivanova nodded and joined her friend on the couch, and Loughley told her everything.

**Earth Defense Force Space Battleship _Yamato_**

**March 22, 2203 **

**12 noon**

Captain Wildstar was seated at his usual position, that of the combat chief. He could have moved to the captain's chair long ago, but never felt comfortable sitting where his mentor once sat. Besides, he had a better view of things from his perch anyway.

Seated beside him was Mark Venture, chief pilot. To Venture's right was Stephen Sandor, who was scanning the phenomenon before them. They had arrived at the portal an hour before, and the message that they had picked up still sent a chill down his spine.

"Can anyone help us? This is commander Susan Ivanova of Babylon 5. To any ships in grid epsilon. We are under attack. I repeat, we are under attack. The captain is dead, defense grid is down, they are boarding us,  
they are coming in all over the place. We've tried to evacuate as many as we can, and Garibaldi has rigged the fusion reactor, but.. my god,  
here they come. Switch to external cameras. They've got weapons lock.  
Here comes. Here comes. Aah!"

Nova walked over from her post as chief radar tech and stood beside her fiancé as the message kept playing above them on the main view screen.  
"I've never seen a uniform like that before. And I don't know of any station named Babylon 5. What does it mean?"

Instead of responding to his love's question, Derek looked over at his chief communications officer and asked, "Have you heard back from headquarters yet, Homer?"

Horatio "Homer" Glitchman turned to his commanding officer and shook his head. "No sir. The phenomenon is interfering with out transmissions as well as our communication system."

Mark looked over at his friend and asked, "What do we do, Wildstar?"

Derek closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the headrest,  
then turned to Stephen, "What do you have for me, Sandor?"

"Wildstar, all I can tell is that this phenomenon has something to do with time travel, though I am not sure what it is exactly. If you are asking me if we should go through, I'm not sure if we should, because we might not be able to return if we go through it."

Derek inhaled and blew out a long, deep breath. "it's possible that whatever is attacking that station may come through this portal and try to attack Earth. I think we have to go through and take the risk."

Stephen nodded, "I tend to agree with you, Wildstar. There's plenty of risk involved, but if this is a new enemy, meeting them on their turf would be better than having them come through and getting a foothold here."

Mark spoke up, "I agree, too. We need to know what they're plans are."

"Then it's settled. We'll go through.," said Derek, "Venture, power up the engines and take us in."

"Yes, Captain."

**Earth Alliance Space Station Babylon 5 **

**January 22, 2271 **

**6:45pm Earth Standard Time**

Ivanova was in Loughley's office, along with Babylon 5's executive officer, Yuki Moriyama, as well as her own exec, Henri LaCoste. They were going over the message they had received from Sector 14.

"This is Captain Derek Wildstar of the Space Battleship Yamato. We are on our way. Hang in there, Babylon 5."

Ivanova looked at the paused message on the vid screen with a haunted look on her face. She remembered the first time she had heard the distress call that a future version of her had sent out shortly before the trip into Sector 14 with Ambassador Sinclair to stop the Shadows from destroying Babylon 4 years earlier. She was at a loss then over the message then,. and at an even greater loss now.

"Have you contacted Draal about this?"

"Yes, and he doesn't know why this is happening either.," sighed Loughley. Draal was the Minbari who had taken over the Great Machine on Episilon 3, the planet in which Babylon 5 orbited above. The original caretaker was dying and Draal took over to prevent the advanced technology on the planet from falling into the wrong hands. Draal had helped them out during the Shadow War and the civil war with Earth, and had mostly kept monitoring the sector for them.

Just then, Loughley was beeped on her comm link. "Loughley, go."

It was Lieutenant Walker in C&C. "Captain, we've picked up a ship in Sector 14. Its identity is unknown, according to the computer. What shall we do?"

Loughley thought for a moment, "Prep Alpha wing for launch. I'll command the mission. Loughley out." She then turned to her friend and asked "Captain Ivanova, since you have first hand knowledge of Sector 14,  
would you please join me on the mission?"

"Yes, Captain. It would be my pleasure.," replied Ivanova. Without another word, they departed from the office and made their way to the cobra bays, home of the Thunderbolt fighters.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

**The Arrival of New Prophesies**

**  
**

**Starfleet Deep Space 9 Space Station **

**Bajor system **

**July 10, 2377**

General Kira Nurys was in her office, studying the daily reports from the departments aboard the station. She wasn't really paying much attention, as her dreams had been most vivid as of late. So much so that she called upon an old friend to help her out with them.

She held the comm PADD in her left hand, and was playing around with the baseball on her desk in her right. It had been six years since Commander Benjamin Sisko had disappeared and supposedly died. The death still haunted her after all this time, which is why she stayed on at this post, despite plenty of offers to serve back on Bajor and other locales. Then again, she sometimes wondered if he really died at all.

Her commlink beeped, and her executive officer, Commander Paul Windsor, informed her of the arrival of her friend from Bajor. It had been a long time since they had chatted, especially given her friend's schedule, and General Kira was very much pleased that her friend could make time for her for this.

Kai Pila Neral came into the office with all the vestments of the Bajoran equivalent of the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. The Kai was the same age as Kira was, and they had served in the resistance to Cardassian rule oh so many years ago. Her specialty was prophecy, and she had brought the Orb of Prophesy with her on this trip, much to Kira's surprise.

Kira came around her desk and embraced her old friend. They went over to the couch in the corner of the office for privacy, and Kai Pila placed the orb on the coffee table.

"Thank you for bringing that, Pila. Lately, I've been having some very strange dreams and need some help to explain what they mean."

"I know, Kira, which is why I brought the orb. When I got your call, it disturbed me greatly, because it is something that I haven't seen in my own contemplation with the orb. But I get the feeling that these dreams are not a figment of your imagination, because for the Emissary to appear in them is remarkable."

Kira nodded replied, "I don't completely understand them, because it's hard to believe that Captain Sisko would want me to take the station into the wormhole, but he says the Prophets need me to do so because of what he called, 'the coming storm'."

Pila nodded and opened the orb, which was floating inside its case. The orbs were the gifts from the Prophets, who lived inside the wormhole that was a fast connection to another part of the galaxy. Despite her occasional doubts about her faith, she still had managed to stay devout to her beliefs through all the events in recent years.

Kira positioned herself in front of the orb, and Pila held her hand in support. The vision wasn't long in coming as a flash of light overcame Kira.

She saw herself in a room with light blue walls, and light came into the room from a window overlooking a city whose buildings looked to have been made out of crystal. There, seated at a conference table, were Commander Sisko, still clad in his Starfleet uniform and looking stark with his bald head and dark skin. Beside him was a white Human male in another type of military uniform that was unknown to her. Also at the table was a lithe blond Humanoid female whose hair was almost as long as her dress, and, to her left, was a younger version, probably her daughter, in some kind of light blue uniform. To the daughter's left was a man cloaked in a light brown, mottled hood and cape, and, to his right, is a being unknown to her. Its skin glowed like a light, and the face was so plain that she thought that it might be one of the Prophets in corporeal form.

Sisko stood up and walked over to his former executive officer. "Kira, it's good of you to come. There are matters that are coming to a head and I need your help like I have needed it before."

Kira nodded and asked, "You know you have my help, but do you really need to bring the station into the wormhole? You know well enough how difficult that will be, but if you can prove the need for it, I'll do my best to accomplish this task."

The lithe blond woman stood up and introduced herself. "Hello General Kira. Sisko recommended we communicate with you to help in the coming battle. My name is Starsha. I'll introduce the others later, but for now, let me show something."

The lights dimmed as the window darkened over, and a three-dimensional display hovered over the table. It showed a planet of immense beauty, with beings of light walking around the alien structures.

"Long ago, there was a race called the Legendora, who were one of the first space faring races in your galaxy. They evolved from their corporeal forms into beings of light, much like your Prophets. However, several millennia ago, a group of their race split off and went off on their own to form a new race, called the Ragendora. While the Legendora are dedicated to helping the younger races develop and evolve, the Ragendora dedicated themselves to conquest and war. Over the centuries, they have battled, with the Legendora barely being able to hold off their enemies. However, this time, they need our help, along with others, because the Ragendora are looking to bring in allies for their campaign this time, and we need all the help we can get.," explained Starsha.

Kira looked at the Ragendora in the images, and was reminded of the Pai Wraiths that had battled the Prophets in the last years of the Dominion War. They were dark and fierce, and their ships looked foreboding, but instead of being intimidated, she felt outraged, as if these beings were out to attack her very own gods.

The man in the cloak stood up and removed the hood of his garment from his head, revealing a being with a bald head and a bone crest sticking out from the back of his skull. "I am Valen, and I have come here to assist these people in their battle with the Ragendora. You must know that this will be a war unlike any kind you have seen before, because this will be a battle across dimensions and universes. We'll need all the ships, bases of operations, and soldiers we can get to aid in the coming conflict. Your help is vital to the cause."

The being of light stood up and walked up to Kira. He removed his own hood from his head, and revealed himself to be baldheaded. "You see, my child, we know of your Prophets. They are a different race than us, but we have been friendly allies of their for eons. If you look inside your heart, you'll know that our cause if right and just, and you'll be willing to help. If you need more evidence, seek out the Prophets and they will explain it all to you."

Sisko walked up to his former exec and put both hands on her shoulders. "This is vitally important, Nurys. You must help us, or all of us are in danger of extinction. Please, do not take long in deciding about this,because we are not sure when the Ragendora will start their campaign. Time is of the essence. Goodbye for now."

With a flash, she returned to the room. Pila was beside her, still holding her hand.

Kira managed to croak out, "Did you see?"

Pila's face looked haunted, but soon set itself in resolution. "I believe these people, Nurys. The Prophets wouldn't have sent this to us if they were not sincere. What do you plan on doing?"

Kira got up off the couch, went over to her desk, and pressed a communication button on the flat panel. "Commander, contact Chief Miles O'Brien on Earth and tell him I need to speak to him immediately. Then prepare the Defiant for a mission. I'll brief you as soon as I get through with O'Brien."

"Yes, General. I'll track him down as soon as possible. Windsor out."

Pila went to her friend and asked, "Does that mean you are going to try to take the station into the wormhole"

Kira nodded, "Yes, but I need the chief's help with this, and it'll give me time to go into the wormhole and consult the prophets. I want to be absolutely sure about this before I commit myself to a course of action."

Pila nodded and they both left the room.

**Interstellar Alliance headquarters **

**Tuzinor, Minbar **

**January 23, 2271 **

**3:30am Earth Standard Time**

President John Jay Sheridan paced his office nervously, waiting for the latest communication from Earth Alliance President Suzanna Luchenko, who was trapped on Earth because of the Drakh plague. Because of the contagious nature of the plague, Earth was quarantined and no one could land there or leave the surface of the planet. In the three years since the Drakh had unleashed the plague, millions had died, and, in two years time, all life on Earth would be dead if no cure was found. Sheridan wasn't a religious man, but he was now hoping desperately for a miracle for his homeworld.

His wife, Delenn, walked into his office with someone he knew all too well. Delenn had been able to get the governing body of Minbar, the Grey Council, to authorize full assistance in finding a cure for the plague, because it was originally meant for Minbar, as the Drakh had planned on using the immense Shadow planet killer devise to obliterate Earth.However, Sheridan was able to bring together a fleet in time to defeat the Shadow device, but his forces could not prevent the Drakh's Plan B from taking effect.

"John, Vice President Hollifield is here to see you.," said Delenn, who sat down at the desk while the guest made his way to the desk.

Sheridan smiled and extended his hand towards Hollifield, which he shook briskly. "Garrison, my old friend. How are you?"

Garrison smiled and said in his smooth Southern drawl, "Just fine, John, or as best as I can be in these days. President Luchenko sends her respects, but she won't be able to communicate with you anytime soon.

This brought Sheridan up short, and he asked, "Why not?"

"Because she has developed a very rare form of breast cancer, and it's going through her body fast. Doctor Franklin doesn't think she'll last more than six months because of it."

Sheridan's face dropped at the news. While he wasn't a friend of Luchenko's, she had been an ally in bringing the Earth Alliance around to joining the Interstellar Alliance. "My God, what will they do on Earth when she dies?"

Hollifield shrugged and said, "Go on as best they can. That's all they can do. When the time comes, I'll do the best I can to lead from afar,  
but by then there may not be much left of the human race on Earth to lead."

There was a knock on the door, and standing in the doorway was a member of Minbar's warrior caste. His name was Shaniel, and he had become the de facto leader of the caste. He had gone a long way to bridging the gap between the generally xenophobic warriors and the Interstellar Alliance.

"Shaniel, what troubles you? You usually call ahead before coming over.," said Delenn, who knew her old friend was a stickler for protocol.

Shaniel nodded and replied, "I know, but this news was too urgent to worry about pomp and circumstance. Mr. President, our long distance probes have detected a massive force of Drakh warships headed this way, and preliminary reports have indicated that they may have another planet killer with them."

Delenn desperately caught her breath, then said, "In Valen's name! Our forces are spread apart right now! How many ships can we bring together before they arrive?"

Shaniel looked down at the floor, worried, but lifted his head and said, "I've taken the liberty to recall all Minbari warships back to the homeworld, but we'll need more than that to face them." He then looked over at Vice President Garrison Hollifield.

Hollifield nodded and replied, "I'll get on the horn back to Earthdome and see what I can do. I don't know how many ships I can bring into the fight, but I'll get as many as I can."

Shaniel went over to Hollifield and shook his hand, Earth style. "Thank you, old friend, but we may need even more than that, I'm afraid."

Sheridan looked up from his desk and said, "We need a miracle, people. We need one badly."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**The Legend Comes To The Rescue**

**  
Earth Alliance Space Station Babylon 5 **

**January 23, 2271 **

**11am Earth Standard Time**

Captains Elizabeth Loughley and Susan Ivanova had been inside their Thunderbolt fighter for hours now, save for a brief break back on the_ Titans_ for a brief two hour rest and refuel. They had made their way to Sector 14 to monitor the situation and all that they had found was the signal from the Yamato repeating over and over. That, and the fact that the temporal rift that Ivanova and the others took to go back in time to defend Babylon 4 from the Shadows was wide open. Draal had said that he was trying to close it, but his efforts were not having any effect.

Loughley activated her internal comm unit and spoke to Ivanova, "How much longer do you want to wait out here?"

Ivanova paused briefly to think it over and said, "We probably should give it at least another couple of hours, just in case. Maybe this is just some anomaly..."

"Then why the dreams, Susan? Why did it tell me to wait for a ship to come through the portal? I'm sure the woman in the dream didn't mean a jumpgate, so this has to be what she was referring to!"

Ivanova shrugged inside her space suit, "Well, it's your call, Liz. But we can't stay here forever because the brass back home will start asking questions."

Loughley just had time to let out a sigh when her console began to beep. "Hang on! I've got something!"

Ivanova sat back up in her co-pilot's seat, "Any idea what it is?"

"Not sure, but whatever it is, it's big.," replied Loughley, who then switched over to the comm system for her squadron, "Loughley to Alpha Squadron. Follow me to the temporal rift so we can check out what is coming through."

Her wingman, Patricia Harletpool, responded, "Affirmative, Alpha leader."

**Earth Defense Force Space Battleship _Yamato_**

**March 22, 2203 **

**7pm**

"If my sensors are reading this right, Wildstar, this appears to be a rift in the space time continuum.," said Stephen Sandor, chief science officer.

Derek Wildstar looked over the readings himself and then out at the rift right in front of the ship. "Do you think we still should go in?"

"It's worth the risk, Wildstar, because we're not sure if that enemy will come through and try to attack Earth. We need to know the make up of their forces at least and try and do something about it should they be planning to come through."

Wildstar stood up and looked at his friend and Yamato co-pilot, Mark Venture, and gave a brief command, "Venture, take us into the rift."

Venture looked up at his commanding officer, giving Wildstar a second to reconsider, but all Wildstar did was give a brief nod. "Yes, sir! Taking us into the rift. Activating main and auxiliary engines."

The ship's engines came to life and began to move towards the rift.  
Derek got up from his post and made an excuse to go to his communication officer's post to scan the room. He was relieved that his crew, while nervous, looked determined. He had his own doubts as to doing this, but the enemy that had attacked the station came through the rift, he didn't know if Yamato and the rest of the Earth Defense Force could handle it.

Venture spoke up, "Time to rift...10...9...8...7...6...5."

Derek looked to his fiancée, Nova, and she looked back at him and gave him a nervous smile. He looked back out the window on the bridge and gazed deeply into the spinning, shiny veneer of the rift.

"4...3...2...1...contact!"

**On board Thunderbolt fighter  
**

**January 23, 2271 **

**10:45pm Earth Standard Time**

Captains Loughley and Ivanova were looking up at the immense structure that was the flight deck of the _Yamato_, and waited for the airlock to recycle so she could meet the crew. When the signal blared that the atmosphere and pressure were back to normal, they took off their helmets and looked towards the doorway.

"You nervous about this," asked Ivanova.

"Yeah, you?"

"I haven't been this nervous since meeting that first one ship out at Sector 957.," Ivanova replied, then noticed that the door was opening.

Coming out were several humans who appeared to be wearing a variety of uniforms, most white, but a couple that were yellow and others that were brown. They looked to be daily shift uniforms and not dress uniforms. The leader was at the head of the pack, and his white uniform had red piping.

Ivanova decided to introduce themselves. "I am Captain Susan Ivanova of the Earth Alliance starship _Titans_, and this is my colleague, Captain Elizabeth Loughley, commanding officer of space station Babylon 5. May I ask you why you are here?"

Wildstar looked blankly at her for a moment, then snapped to attention. "I'm Captain Derek Wildstar of the Earth Defense Force ship, _Yamato_. We came through when we heard your distress signal and decided to lend aid."

Ivanova nodded. "I know. That signal came through to us too. It's from several years ago, and the events that took place didn't happen."

"Didn't happen? Then the ships attacking your station?"

Ivanova held out a hand and stopped Wildstar, "It's a long story. Those ships are gone now, but we have another enemy to worry about now. Earth Defense Force, you say? What year is it back where you came from?"

Wildstar looked back at his crew, and replied, "2203. What year is it here?"

Ivanova's face went pale, but she managed to reply, "The year is 2271 here."

Wildstar's jaw visibly dropped, and there was a loud murmur among his crew. "2271, you say? Then what happened to Earth when we left?"

Ivanova looked to the floor briefly, feeling awkward and trying to comprehend all of this, "Captain Wildstar, to the best of my knowledge,  
there has never been a Yamato in Earthforce that I know of, and this ship's design is unknown to me. So we've got a lot of things to talk about...," Ivanova was interrupted by her link. "Ivanova here.," she replied.

"Captain, this is LaCoste. We just got a message from Minbar. There's a huge Drakh force headed there to attack, and, Captain, they have a Shadow planet killer."

Ivanova's face went pale again, then she snapped back to her professional side and spoke, "Set a course for Minbar." She then looked over at Wildstar and then spoke back into her link, "Send star charts and coordinates over here to the Yamato. I'll see if they're willing to lend assistance."

"Yes, captain. LaCoste out."

Ivanova walked up to Wildstar and asked, "Captain, if you don't find it presumptuous..."

Wildstar held out his hand and said, "Just help us plot a course and we'll be there for the fight, Captain. If you'll come this way..."

Ivanova and Loughley made their way to the elevator tube with the rest of the crew, wondering if they were making the right decision to bring this unknown ship into the fight.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

**The Servants of Darkness' Plans Go Awry**

**  
**

**Aboard the EDS _Yamato_**

**January 24, 2271 6pm **

**Earth Standard Time**

"C'mon, you have to be kidding me on this, Wildstar?"

Derek Wildstar laughed at Captain Susan Ivanova for asking about the origins of Yamato again. "It's true, Ivanova. This ship was the old _Yamato_ battleship sunk off the coast of Okinawa at the end of World War II centuries ago.

Loughley stood there with a puzzled look on their face. "Let me get this straight: back in 2199, Earth was a radioactive wasteland, all the oceans had dried up and all human life had migrated to underground cities. Then, as a last ditch effort to save Earth, your government decided to take the rusted hulk of an ancient battleship, remodel it,  
and make it space worthy. Am I missing something here?"

Derek smiled and said, "Nothing so far."

Ivanova spoke again, "Do you know how impractical that sounds? I mean, wouldn't it have been easier to just find somewhere where the Gamilons weren't and gather the materials to build a ship in space."

Sandor, sitting beside Wildstar in the mess, looked across at the two strangers and said, "Well, desperate people do desperate things, and we were pretty desperate back then. We had only one year before the radiation would have wiped all the humans out underground. So we had to come up with this idea, and it worked out better than we could have ever imagined!"

Derek looked towards the entrance to see IQ-9 come into the mess. Being an intelligent machine, he would sometimes drop by the mess when things weren't busy to socialize and improve his programming. He rolled up toward the table and spoke to Derek. "Wildstar, Venture has completed his calculations and says we can warp to Minbar whenever you are ready."

"Thank you, IQ-9. Head on back to the bridge and we'll join you there shortly.," replied Derek, and IQ-9 rolled out of the mess hall.

Ivanova shook her head, still looking towards the entrance. "Back on Earth...our Earth, robots like that aren't around because human-form robots are illegal."

Derek smiled and said, "It's a shame, because IQ-9 has been invaluable to us. He's saved out hides many times aboard this ship."

"That may be the case, but, between the four of us, it might be a good thing to be careful who has access to him from my side of the street,  
because they'll be people who will want to snatch him up and use him for their own purposes, and others who would want to dismantle him because they are afraid of him."

Derek and Sandor were aghast, and Loughley was quick to reply, "Things are a bit different in this universe. We're a bit more cynical, to say the least. One of these days, if we have the time, I'll try and explain it all to you."

Derek nodded and stated, "I look forward to it, but now, we need to go to the bridge and get ready for the warp."

Ivanova was quick to reply dryly, "This should be interesting."

They made their way to the bridge and Sandor showed the two guests to their chairs on the bridge. Ivanova looked up once again at the portrait of Captain Abraham Avatar above the captain's station. In her military side of her brain, she chided Wildstar for not taking that position because it clearly could give him more information about the ship and any action it becomes involved with than his combat chief station. However, her Human, especially her Jewish side, realized the need to leave it untouched as a tribute to this man.

Nova came over to her station and explained the process of warping the ship again. Ivanova, when she first learned of the way that Yamato traveled faster than light, remembered an old Earth vid series called Star Trek, where the ships in the various shows would warp space and travel faster than the speed of light. However, after warping twice to make sure the star charts matched in the computer, they were now someone used to it. They both smiled at the blond woman, who had gone out of her way to make them feel welcome, and, since there were so few women aboard the ship, Ivanova figured that Nova appreciated the company of some more women.

Venture announced to the crew that warp would begin in less than a minute. Both Ivanova and Loughley both inhaled and slowly let out a nervous breath, trying to not seem overly nervous to the crew.

However, the process bothered Ivanova, because the warp process stimulated her latent telepathic abilities. In her first warp experience, she had had a strong vision of the past during the warp. It was back when she was a little kid and her mother had come down to watch her play. Her mom had watched her intently for a moment, then sent Susan over to a cousin's house to play for a while. Hours later, her dad had come to get her and told her that her mom had died. She found out later that her mom had committed suicide, mainly due to the drugs that were injected into her on a weekly basis to suppress her telepathic abilities so she could continue to live with her family. However, over the years, the drug's side effects had taken their toll on her mind and body, and she was slowly going insane.

The second warp had brought back memories of when she was on her deathbed on board Babylon 5. She had begun to accept that she was about to die, and slowly began to fade away when she thought she heard the voice of God telling her that He loved her. She was feeling like she was floating above her body, but, as the voice got stronger, she began to feel pulled back into her body, and the voice had turned out to be that of her close friend, Marcus Cole, who she knew was in love with her. Once she regained consciousness, she tried to pull off the alien device that was transferring his life energy into her off of her wrist, but she was so weak from her injuries that she could do nothing. So she watched as the man she loved died in front of her to save her.

Venture once again spoke to the crew, "Warp in 10...9...8...7...6...5."

Loughley, who had grabbed hold of Ivanova's hand in the previous two warps, now grabbed it again, and the two of them briefly exchanged the same kind of look they had done before a warp. Ivanova could tell that her friend was just as nervous as she was, but she had yet to ask if she had had visions of her own.

Venture called out the countdown, "4...3...2...1...warp!"

Venture pulled down on a lever at his station, and suddenly a white light engulfed the ship. She could feel the pressure changing slightly around her, and suddenly felt a sight push into her seat. Then, another vision came over her.

She was inside a Minbari temple, looking up at a statue of Valen. She looked around and saw a figure coming up towards her in a dark brown robe with a hood over their head.

"Hello, Susan."

"Jeff? Jeff, is that you," Ivanova asked, recognizing the sound of the voice of her former commanding officer on Babylon 5, former Commander and later Ambassador to Minbar, Jeffery Sinclair.

He removed the hood from his head, and Ivanova let out a slight gasp as she noticed the bone crest on his head. Sinclair smiled and said, "So, how do I look bald?"

Ivanova chuckled and said, "It's good to see you again, Jeff. Or should I call you Valen?"

Jeff smiled again, "If it makes you feel more comfortable, call me Jeff. God only knows that I haven't heard that name in a long while."

Ivanova would have loved to spend hours talking to her old friend, but she knew she had a short period of time. "Why are you here?"

"To bring you some comfort and to tell you that you are doing the right thing. You are needed in the coming fight. There are plans in the works to prepare for the conflict. Just be ready when I return."

Ivanova's jaw dropped, "You mean...?"

Jeff nodded and said, " 'Valen would return in Minbar's hour of greatest need.' Trust me, this is a very dark hour upcoming for Minbar. But you're on the right ship, Susan. Trust Wildstar's instincts."

Ivanova was about to speak, but Jeff held out his hand to silence her. "So long, Susan. I'll see you soon!"

"Wait, I have one question: did you ever find her?"

Jeff inclined his head and said, "You'll see soon enough."

**Tuzinor, Minbar **

**January 24, 2271 **

**9pm Earth Standard Time**

John Sheridan and his wife, Delenn, were being whisked to the spaceport on a transport. They set down near two Whitestar ships, advanced destroyers, which were a fusion of Minbari technology and the technology of the ancient race called the Vorlons. Before getting on board, they had a moment to embrace and look into each other's eyes, realizing this may be the last moments they spent together.

"Where's David," asked John.

"Safe. I had him evacuated from the city and he's on a religious caste ship heading away from Minbar."

John looked deep into his wife's eyes and told her, "I love you, Delenn."

Delenn looked back into his eyes and replied, "I love you too, John. And, no matter what happens, I'll be there where no Shadows fall."

John smiled, remembering the first time she had uttered those words, and departed to go aboard his Whitestar. Delenn took a moment to watch him go, then she turned and boarded her ship.

Delenn swiftly made her way to the bridge, feeling the ship take off from the ground and making its way into space as she walked through the corridors. She got up onto the bridge just as the bright blue sky of Minbar turned into the darkness of space.

She made her way to the command chair and asked the officer on duty about the status. "It's not good, Delenn. The fleet is massive and they should be here within the hour. We don't have near enough ships, unless the Earth Alliance is sending ships to aid us."

"They are, but it's a matter of when they can get here. All we can do is do the best we can. Faith manages.," replied Delenn.

Her Whitestar, along with over three hundred others, were speedily making their way to where they would meet the fleet, along with dozens of Minbari cruisers and destroyers. The space outside her window was also filled with countless Minbari fighters, and she had a brief horrifying memory of the Battle of the Line back during the Earth/Minbari War, but she shoved it back down into the depths of her mind as she readied herself for what was to come.

It was then she noticed the fleet, and a sudden flash of light in front of it. She didn't pay much attention to it until she noticed that it was some sort of ship coming into the battle. "In Valen's name! They must have jumped at the wrong co-ordinates! They're right in the path of that fleet, and we can't get to them in time."

It was then she noticed the flashes of light coming from the ship.  
Instead of the red color of Drakh weapons, it was white flashes filling space. She then noticed that the Drakh fleet was taking a pounding. "In Valen's name," she whispered.

**Space Battleship _Yamato_**

**January 24, 2271 **

**9:30pm Earth Standard Time**

Yamato had turned her five main guns towards the fleet and was giving the Drakh forces its broadside, and Ivanova watched on in stunned silence as she watched this one ship shred the massive fleet with volley after volley.

Derek Wildstar looked over to his fiancée, Nova Forrester, and asked how much longer until the Minbari fleet join the fight.

"Estimate two minutes at current speed, but they are speeding up so it'll be a bit sooner."

"Good. Dash, stand by port side missiles. Prepare them to fire on my mark."

Dashell "Dash" Jordan replied, "Aye aye, sir!"

Shortly thereafter, the ship shuttered slightly as volley after volley of missiles were fired at the oncoming fleet.

Nova then spoke up, "Captain, huge unidentified object directly behind the Drakh fleet!"

"Put it on screen, Nova.," commanded Derek, and, after a moment, the massive object filled the screen.

Ivanova got up out of her chair. "Oh my God! A Shadow planet killer! We thought they didn't have anymore! We don't have near the forces to stop that thing!"

Derek looked at her. "We don't need them. We have the wave motion gun!"

Ivanova shook her head, "I'm sorry, what? What's a wave motion gun?"

Derek smiled and, instead of answering her, went over to Mark Venture's station. "Venture, turn the ship to face the fleet, then go to full speed and begin to divert power to the wave motion gun when we get behind their fleet."

Mark nodded briskly and said, "Yes, sir!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

**Turning the Tide With One Press of the Trigger **

**  
**

**Whitestar 214 **

**January 24, 2271**

** 9:40pm Earth Standard Time**

"What the HELL are they doing," yelled John Sheridan, who was still shocked at the ship that jumped in and started attacking the fleet. Now they were heading straight to the Shadow Planet Killer, and it looked to him like a suicide run.

Delenn's ship linked in and she appeared on the main screen to her husband. "John," she said, "Susan's on board that ship, and so is Loughley!"

"What! Why the hell are they on that ship," replied a flabbergasted Sheridan.

"Titans linked in and let me know what the situation is. Apparently the ship came through the temporal rift in Sector 14 back in Babylon 5 space, and Ivanova gave them the star charts to help with the battle."

Sheridan looked down at his panel, trying to take in the situation. He turned to his executive officer on board the ship and commanded,  
"Contact that ship. I want to know what they plan on doing."

Drennier tried to contact the ship, but could not make contact. "Sorry, sir. Unable to reach them. I'll try to reach her personal link for you."

Sheridan nodded, then looked back at the battle going on outside his ship. Many Whitestars had already been destroyed, as well as several Minbari cruisers and destroyers. Yet, this one ship was responsible for over two third of the destroyed Drakh fleet, and Sheridan still could not believe the image of that ship's beam weapons slicing through the Drakh vessels like a hot knife through butter.

Drennier got a communication and informed President Sheridan, "Sir, still trying to get a link to Ivanova and Loughley, but I do have a positive ID of the ship from the _Titans_. According the them, the ship's named the _Yamato_, and, according to XO LaCoste, she's not EarthForce."

Sheridan looked away for a second, then turned back to his XO, "There has to be an explanation for all this. Keep trying to get those two."

"Yes, sir! Wait a sec, sir. Sensors picking up a massive buildup of energy on board the _Yamato_."

"What? Put me through on an open channel to that ship!"

Drennier did so, and Sheridan spoke to the vessel, "This is President John Sheridan of the Interstellar Alliance to the _Yamato_. Come in, _Yamato_!"

Drennier looked back down at his console and shook his head, "Ten seconds until it goes critical."

Sheridan's voice grew desperate. "SUSAN! ELIZABETH! GET OFF THAT SHIP," he yelled.

Then the space in front of the ship went white with light.

**Space Battleship _Yamato_**

**January 24, 2271**

** 9:50pm**

Derek Wildstar took out the trigger to the wave motion gun and maneuvered the arm of the device to right in front of him to get a visual fix on the target.

"One minute to firing. Everyone put on safety goggles."

Nova rushed over to Ivanova and Loughley and handed them each a pair of dark shaded goggles. "Hurry. Put these on, because when the wave motion gun goes off, the light will be blinding."

Ivanova and Loughley nodded and quickly placed the goggles on their heads and over their eyes. They looked at each other in the dim light on the bridge, and felt the shudder of the Drakh weapons slamming into the ship, apparently to little effect. They were taking damage, sure, but the hull had yet to be breached, and Ivanova had made the calculation that most of the ships she knew of would have been breached long before this.

"Ten seconds to firing...9...8...7"

Ivanova and Loughley held each other's hand as they looked on. Ivanova quickly whispered, "If this goes wrong, see you in the next life."

Loughley nodded and said nothing as the countdown continued, "3...2...1...Fire!"

Suddenly, the ship lurched, and they could feel the energy surging within _Yamato_. Then the sky went white.

**Whitestar 176 **

**January 24, 2271**

** 9:52pm**

Delenn looked on as the she watched as the front of the _Yamato_ began to glow at the opening. For a brief second, she thought it was some sort of beam weapon port or something, but she dismissed it off as she asked herself why a port would be that big.

Shaneen looked down at her panel and her eyes went wide, and the Ranger yelled out, "Delenn! Massive energy buildup on board that ship! Ten seconds until it goes critical! Switching panel to proton screening mode!"

The screen went noticeably darker, but the glow from the front of the ship continued to build.

Delenn whispered, "In Valen's name.," as tears stung her eyes, expecting her two friends to die in mere seconds.

The flash of blinding light came, and Delenn reflexively shielded her eyes from the glow. She lost her balance and fell down onto the floor.When she looked back up, she expected to see the Yamato gone and the Shadow planet killer still there, but her eyes went wide when the Yamato was still there and the Shadow planet killer was blowing up before her.. Her jaw dropped as she watched the massive device, designed to encircle her homeworld and surround it, then send fusion bombs spiraling down and drilling into the planet's surface, then detonating at the same time,ripping apart her world, being destroyed in one fell swoop by a single blast from that ship.

Sheridan linked over, "My God, Delenn, did you see that? How did they do it?"

Delenn relied, "I don't know, but I think we should go aboard and find out how they did it."

**Space Battleship _Yamato_**

**January 24, 2271 **

**10:00pm**

Ivanova and Loughley were both sweating from the heat generated inside the ship by the buildup of wave motion energy. Despite her uniform being soaked, she was impressed at the way they could insulated the ship from most of the heat from the energy.

Nova came over and checked on them, asking them, "Are you two ok? The first time experiencing this can be overwhelming. But you did better than others have."

Ivanova and Loughley nodded and slowly unbuckled their seat belts, then slowly got up from their chairs. They both walked over to the window looking out into space and were astonished at the sight of the Shadow planet killer being consumed by both the wave motion gun blast and the detonation of the myriad of nuclear weapons inside the device.

"My God. We did that? It seems so unreal, " Ivanova said, in a low tone.

Derek chuckled and stood up from his chair to stretch his legs. Mark Venture stood up as well and patted him on the back, saying, "Good shot, Derek!"

"Thanks, Venture! I wasn't sure where exactly to hit it, but at least the job is accomplished.," replied Derek, who then turned to his radar tech, Christopher Eager, and asked, "What's the status of the Drakh fleet, Eager?"

Eager scanned his console, then turned to Derek, "What's left of it has turned tail and fled. As far as I could tell, there was only a couple of dozen ships left, and about a hundred fighters."

Derek briskly nodded and noticed that his communications officer, Homer, was busy with something on his console. "Homer, are we getting a communication?"

Homer looked up and nodded to his superior officer, replying, "Yes, sir. There are separate messages being sent by someone named Delenn and Sheridan, and they are asking to come aboard."

Ivanova stepped forward to Derek and said, "I know these people, and you can trust them. Let them board."

Derek nodded and turned back to Homer, "Homer, send them an affirmative reply and tell the launch bay to get ready for them."

Homer nodded briskly and went to work.

Derek turned back to Ivanova and Loughley and asked, "Are you two alright?"

Loughley replied, "After seeing that, I think I feel a whole lot better about things," and smiled.

The crewmembers on the bridge, as well as Ivanova, burst out laughing, breaking the tension.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

**The Mission of The Prophets **

**  
**

**Starfleet Deep Space 9 Space Station **

**Bajor System **

**July 17, 2377**

The U.S.S. Wildstar pulled into upper pylon one and docked, and General Kira Nurys was waiting at the airlock to go aboard the massive ship. The ship's captain, Stephen James Ashcroft, had been in command of it for well over a decade, and Kira didn't think he'd ever give up the main seat on board. The Wildstar was a massive ship compared to others in Starfleet, over twice the size of a Galaxy-class ship. It held five Defiant-class ships, as well as two squadrons of fighter craft. It could also separate its saucer section from the warp drive section, and have two ships fight at once, because the saucer section also had a warp drive. Ashcroft was the one who learned about ablative armor from then-Commander Sisko, and had the Wildstar coated with it to make it even tougher.

The airlock opened and Ashcroft stepped out of it and onto the main deck. "Request permission to come aboard, General.," he said, formally. Instead of staying professional, Kira laughed and hugged him. "Please,General! This lack of professionalism will have a negative effect on the troops," he said sarcastically, which made her laugh even louder!

Kira kissed him on the cheek and said, "It's good to see you again, Stephen!"

Stephen brushed his hand against her cheek and replied, "You too, Nurys."

Several years ago, on the pleasure planet Risa, they had met and had a brief love affair, but the spark didn't last and they soon became very good friends. He smiled as he ran his hair through her long, red hair. "Never thought you, of all people, would grow your hair long," said Stephen.

They made their way to his quarters on board, as his ship was due to stay on the station for several days, and he decided to spend some leave time there. Once settled, they made their way to her quarters for dinner, which would consist of spicy Bajoran hasperat sandwiches, a favorite of his.

Stephen took a bite out of his hasperat, then quickly gulped down some water and waves his hand in front of his face, which elicited laughter from Kira. "Damn, Nurys! You sure packed that full of spices, didn't ya?"

Kira laughed again and was about to take a bite out of her own sandwich when the flash of light hit her again.

She was back on that strange planet again, but this time she was near a shipyard of some kind, near the coastline. The ships being constructed were alien to her, and seemed to have warp nacelles.

"Hello, Nurys.," called out a familiar voice.

Kira turned around and noticed the familiar form of her former commanding officer, Starfleet Captain Benjamin Sisko, walking towards her. He was the same as the last time she saw him alive: baldhead, goatee, and his dark skin were a contrast to the light-colored textures around them.

"Sisko," she asked in astonishment.

Sisko nodded, "The one and only." He chuckled and smiled, then drew serious as he continued saying, "Nurys, the time is drawing near for you to enter the Temple of the Prophets. Things are beginning to pick up, and we'll need your help soon, so the sooner you get on your way, the better. And be sure to take the Orb of Prophesy and Time with you, for the Prophets."

Kira looked at him in shock and asked, "What is coming, Ben? What are we going to be facing?"

Sisko walked up to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "I wish I could tell you all that is going on, but it would overwhelm you. Just do what I ask and all will be explained soon enough."

He started to walk off. Kira realized the vision would end soon, but she asked one last thing before she left. "Sisko, are you dead?"

Sisko's shoulders clenched a bit, and he turned around and looked at her uncertainly. "I don't know, Nurys. I honestly don't know."

Kira blinked her eyes and she was back in her quarters. Stephen was busy finishing off his hasperat, and looked up to see Kira staring out at him.

"Something wrong, Nurys?"

Kira got up from the table and walked to the window, and briefly watched the wormhole, the Temple of the Prophets, open up as a ship from the Delta Quadrant came through. She turned back to him and said, "Stephen, I been having visions, and I am not sure exactly what to do about them."

Stephen got up from the table, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and walked over to her. "I'm sure whatever these visions are have some meaning, because you've never struck me as someone to have her head in the clouds. Why don't we sit down on the couch and you tell me what is going on?"

Kira nodded, and they sat themselves down on her couch, where she began to tell her story.

**On Board USS _Wildstar_ NCC-1971 **

**July 20, 2377 **

**9am**

Captain Stephen Ashcroft was in the conference room with his command staff, along with Bajoran General Kira Nurys, Chief Miles O'Brien, and Kai Pila Neral. He had just gotten through his briefing on the visions Kira had been experiencing when his executive officer, a fierce looking Russian woman named Katrina Litinova, spoke up. "Captain, this is hardly enough evidence to take the _Wildstar_ into the wormhole along with the _Defiant III_. With all due respect to General Kira, we need more evidence to go by."

"Very well, Litinova, I can provide it. Yesterday, I stood in front of the Orb of Prophesy myself and I had a similar vision to the General's.  
What I can tell you is that, while the people in my vision didn't give a lot of details, it was clear to me that they need our help, and that we need to enter the wormhole."

Security Officer Belinda Montgomery then spoke up, "What will it hurt going into the wormhole? If nothing happens, we come back and we're none for the worse. If something is up, we should definitely check it out. Whatever this supposed new enemy is, we know it's not the Dominion, because they have been very compliant with the terms of their surrender.If this is a new enemy, we need to find them before they find us."

Litinova thought for a moment, then nodded, "All right, Lieutenant Commander, you have a point. I have my reservations, but I agree we should check it out.," she then turned to the captain, "When do we leave?"

"Right now. Everyone we need is on board, as well as the two Orbs that we requested. Windsor will command the _Defiant III_ and Kira will stay on board here. We can leave at once."

No one said anything for a couple of moments, and Captain Ashcroft activated his communication link, "Ashcroft to Bridge. Set a course to take us into the wormhole. Impulse speed."

One of the officers on the bridge, Garcia, acknowledged the command. "Course plotted and engines engaged, Captain. Estimated time to wormhole, ten minutes."

"Thanks, Garcia.," replied Ashcroft, who then turned back to those assembled in the conference room, "If there's nothing else, then you are all dismissed."

Everyone made their way to the door, and almost all of them left, save for Montgomery. "Sir, are you sure this is the right thing to do?"

Ashcroft picked up his computer PADDs and said, "Yes, I do."

Montgomery came back from the door and they shut back, and the two of them were alone in the room. "Permission to speak frankly sir."

Ashcroft laughed and said, "In other words, you want to drop ranks and tell me that I'm nuts, right?"

Montgomery nervously shrugged and said, "Well, the first part is correct..."

Ashcroft interrupted her, "I'm kidding, Belinda. C'mon and tell me what's on your mind."

"Well, sir, I'm worried that you are letting personal feelings for Kira get in the way of your judgment. This story of 'visions' is a bit farfetched, if I do say so myself."

Ashcroft turned and looked at her and said, "I've also had similar visions about this myself."

Montgomery looked at him stunned, as if she didn't understand what he had just said. "Sir, are you sure..."

"Yes, Belinda, I am. Look, we've known each other for a long time, and you are my right hand person on this ship. So I trust you to keep what I have told you a secret. If Litinova finds out, she might raise a bigger stink about this than she already has."

"You don't think she'd take over the ship from you over this?"

Ashcroft waived her worries away, "No, no, no. Litinova and I get along well enough, but she plays things by the book a little too much. She's only been on board for a couple of months, and she's still trying to fit in. Believe me, Belinda, if I thought she were plotting to get me out of my command, she'd have been outta here a long time ago."

Montgomery nodded and asked, "What if the visions are indeed true?"

Ashcroft sighed and replied, "Then we are in a whole world of trouble."

**On Board USS _Wildstar_ NCC-1971 **

**July 20, 2377 **

**10:45am**

The _Wildstar_ had proceeded slowly along the inside of the wormhole and was just about to come to the end of it when the flash overtook them.

Ashcroft was aboard his old ship, the Arcadia, and he was in the presence of his first wife, Victoria, who, along with their one-year-old son, Brandon, had been killed aboard the ship during an attack by the Tholians.

"Steve, it's been a long time," she replied.

"Vicki? Is that you?"

Victoria nodded, "In a way, yes. The beings in the wormhole have somehow brought me back to help you out. You are about to be sent into another universe, and you must proceed to a world called Minbar."

Stephen nodded, but he wasn't paying as much attention to her words as he was her body. He still remembered her flowing long black hair, and how it felt in his fingers when they made love. He missed coming back to his quarters and finding her playing the piano again, with their newborn son on the floor playing with his toys.

"Did you hear me, Steve, or are you daydreaming about me again," she asked with a smile on her face.

Stephen coughed and said, "Yeah, go to another universe and find a world called Minbar. Vicki, where's Brandon?"

Vicki smiled and said, "He's fine. We're having a great time and wish you were here, but you have a lot to do before you come to see us again."

Stephen shook his head and asked, "What do you mean?"

"You have a destiny, my dear husband, beyond this war. There is a lot that will happen in your life and you must be ready it. You will play a very important role in the future of the Federation, and it will not be easy, but it will be worth it."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Vicki smiled, walked up to him, and kissed him on the lips. They briefly embraced and then she was gone, and he was back on the bridge.

His exec, Commander Litinova, looked at him with wide eyes, "It's true. I saw my late parents and they told me..."

"...to go to a world called Minbar. And I thought the universe couldn't get any weirder.," said Ashcroft, who then spoke to the officer at the helm, "Deitz, take us out of the wormhole."

"Aye aye, sir," replied Deitz, and they were just about to exit the wormhole when there was another flash and the ship lurched briefly.

"What the hell was that? Report," commanded Ashcroft.

Litinova looked over her console, and could not believe what she was seeing. "Sir, whatever this place is, it isn't the Delta Quadrant. Star patterns are all wrong, and we aren't picking up any of the usual communications. We are being hailed though."

"Put it on screen."

The screen came up and there was a dark haired woman on screen, in a uniform very different than Starfleet regulations allowed. It became clear very quickly that they were not in their own universe anymore:

"Can anyone help us? This is commander Susan Ivanova of Babylon 5. To any ships in grid epsilon. We are under attack. I repeat, we are under attack. The captain is dead, defense grid is down, they are boarding us, they are coming in all over the place. We've tried to evacuate as many as we can, and Garibaldi has rigged the fusion reactor, but.. my god, here they come. Switch to external cameras. They've got weapons lock.Here comes. Here comes. Aah!"

Then the feed switched to another ship, and another bridge, with a crew wearing a totally different kind of uniform. The commanding officer spoke:

"This is Captain Derek Wildstar of the Space Battleship _Yamato_. We are on our way. Hang in there, Babylon 5."

Ashcroft stared at the screen and was silent for a moment. Then he turned to his security chief and asked, "Montgomery, scan the area for any space stations or orbital platforms."

"Aye, sir.," replied Montgomery, and she briskly worked her console to perform the scans, which gave her an answer very quickly, "Sir, I have picked up a station about 20 million kilometers away from us. I'm not sure if they have seen us, but there is what looks like a warship and several smaller vessels making their way here. Orders?"

Litinova spoke before the captain could give any orders, "I don't think they have spotted us, because the second message came from behind us. I recommend we cloak and move aside and see what happens."

Ashcroft nodded and gave the orders, "Alright, Montgomery, activate the cloaking device. Deitz, take us to impulse and move us about 50 million kilometers away from this area. Keep scanning those ships as well as the rift we came through."

Deitz and Montgomery both said, "Aye, sir," at the same time, and went to work. Ashcroft leaned back into his command chair and closed his eyes.

"Do you have any reservations now, Katrina?"

She looked at him with a sober expression on his face. "No sir, I don't anymore. It's just...so unbelievable."

"On that, my dear commander, I wholeheartedly agree!"

**Queentown, Iscandar **

**Date Unknown**

Sisko and Valen were walking away from the shipyards where the fleet was being constructed. They both walked in silence back towards the transport which would take them to the royal palace.

"When do we return to your time?"

Valen looked at him and shrugged, "I'm not exactly sure. The Legendora want to be sure I'll survive the time jump, so they have been treating me with some medications that I haven't a clue as to their effectiveness, but I haven't felt this good since I was 18!" Valen let out a soft chuckle.

"18? That's so long ago that I can't even remember how it felt! So are you sure it'll be alright for me to come along?"

"Certainly. Although I should warn you about my assistant Zathras, because he has the habit of popping up in the most unexpected places.  
Kind of like a few officers that served under me!"

They shared a laugh as they entered the transport and headed towards the heart of the city, and, after a brief flight, they landed and walked inside the palace.

Meeting them there was Starsha, Alex Wildstar, the Legendora liaison, and a creature dressed in a variety of furs and pelts. Valen motioned to Sisko to approach the creature, and he made the introductions, "Captain Benjamin Sisko, this is Zathras. Zathras, this is Captain Sisko."

"Pleased to be meeting you, Sisko.," said Zathras, "I was just telling the others that we are ready on board to make the jump back to our own time."

Sisko nodded and replied, "That's good news. Thank you, Zathras." He then turned to Valen, "So when do we go on board Babylon 4?"

Valen smiled and said, "As soon as the shuttle pilot comes out of the ladies room."

Coming out of the women's bathroom was an Asian woman of medium build, dressed in a similar uniform as Valen. She came up before them and asked, "Well, are we all packed and ready to go? Don't want anyone to forget his or her toothbrush!"

Valen laughed, "Sisko, this is Catherine Sakai, my fiancée back when I was Jeffery Sinclair, a Human."

Sisko shook her hand and, without another word, the lot of them made their way to the transport.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

**Celebrations, Reunions, and Revelations**

**Valendor, Minbar **

**January 25, 2271 **

**8am**

Michael Garibaldi had thought he'd seen it all in his five decades. He'd seen ships so powerful that he honestly thought that the apocalypse was nigh and all life would be wiped out, only to see the races responsible for those ships driven off by a coalition of races led by his friend and former commanding officer, John Sheridan. Garibaldi was now in charge of a major medical company, but still found time to help Sheridan when he needed him, and, since the Drakh plague had hit Earth, he found himself spending plenty of time on the homeworld of the former deadly enemies, now valued allies, of the Human race.

Now, he was watching as an ancient Earth battleship was descending down onto Minbar. It was barely a speck in the sky at the moment, but he saw on a nearby monitor a familiar profile of old sea-faring battleships with their big turrets and huge displacement. He spoke to a nearby assistant to Sheridan, "You know, you think you've seen everything, but then something like this happens. What's next, Valen showing up?"

The young Minbari Ranger shuffled in his feet and nervously said, "With the way this day has gone, you never know."

Garibaldi only nodded and replied, "That's for damn sure."

Sheridan and Delenn walked up to him , just recently arrived from the spaceport. They stood beside Garibaldi and watched in amazement as the ship was descending down towards the sea.

"It's an amazing site, isn't it Garibaldi," asked Sheridan.

Garibaldi sighed and said, "Yeah, but what I want to know is why are they here and how did they just come through the rift in Sector 14 without as much as a scratch? Something weird is going on."

Delenn spoke up and said, "It's a miracle, all right. Sometimes the universe does offer them up from time to time. But you are right,  
Michael, because something is going on. Susan and Elizabeth wouldn't just go off with them like that unless they had some very important reason."

Sheridan nodded, "Yeah, that's for sure. Earth Central has been demanding an explanation as to why the _Titans_ suddenly jumped here. I explained as much as I could, but you know how they feel about me."

Garibaldi sighed and said, "That's true, but they've got bigger fish to fry right now, like if we don't find a cure for the plague in two years time, they'll all be dead. Maybe this...what was the name of that ship again?"

Sheridan smiled and replied, "Yamato. It's Japanese."

Garibaldi answered back, "Yeah, thanks. Maybe this _Yamato_ can help us with finding the cure. Who the hell know anymore?"

Earth Alliance Vice President Garrison Hollifield, along with Shaniel, head of the Minbari warrior caste, and Captain Twanissa Hudson of the _Freedom_, walked up to them. Hollifield introduced Hudson to the rest, and then he got down to business.

"Well, I talked with President Luchenko, and she's just as astonished about all of this as we are. She didn't believe me until we showed her the vid of the battle. She was in a meeting with the Joint Chiefs at the time, and I saw them all with their collective jaws on the floor.  
They've agreed to accept the redeployment of the _Titans_ as well as Captain Loughley, so they need not worry about violating orders or anything like that."

Sheridan nodded, "That's good, because if they did, I would have given them a piece of my mind. We need to know if they Drakh have anymore of these planet killers."

Hudson then spoke up, presenting to the group a date crystal. "There's more to this story, sir. We had just arrived and jumped in behind the planet killer. Luckily, our vector was off the main blast from the Yamato, so we were lucky to not get vaporized. However, they had a similar plan B, and it looks like they were going to give Minbar the same treatment as Earth."

Delenn visibly blanched, then asked, "But why did they not follow through? Were they vaporized?"

Hudson shook her head, "No, and when we saw them, we went to engage them. However, we had some unexpected help." She then walked to a local viewer and inserted the data crystal.

The image came up of the _Freedom_'s battle with the last of the Drakh fleet. Clearly, they were outnumbered.

Hudson explained what happened next, "It looked like we were outmatched, until another ship came to help out. Computer, advance to time mark 2300 and enhance selected image."

The computer advanced the video to a specific point and then zoomed in on a ship that was unknown to them, except for the lettering on it."

Sheridan walked up to the screen and examined the image from almost point blank range, and the rest followed him to it. He read the lettering on the ship aloud, "U.S.S. _Wildstar_? NCC-1971? What the hell?"

Hudson's lip tightened, and Sheridan was briefly reminded of his ex-wife Loughley, but the woman's Australian accent killed that image, Hudson brushed back her jet-black hair from her eyes and explained further, "It gets even stranger. As you can see here, they launched fighters and what looked like five smaller ships and attacked them with advanced beam weapons. They also looked like they had very strong shields, as the Drakh weaponry had little or no effect on them when their beams struck those ships."

Garibaldi asked, "Are they still around?"

Hudson shrugged her shoulders, "Unknown, because they vanished as soon as the battle was over. I think they have a cloaking system of some kind, and I think they didn't want to be seen by us."

Garibaldi then remembered something, "Wait a minute. I remember the briefing that I got from Babylon 5. When the ship initially came through, it had the _Titans_ scramble to that sector along with Alpha Squadron, but briefly disappeared. Then it came back again and Ivanova and Loughley boarded the vessel."

Sheridan nodded and added, "So you think this might be the first ship that came through?"

"Yeah, and I think they're on our side, but they don't want to reveal themselves yet. But I am not sure of it, so we have to proceed carefully."

Shaniel's assistant, Rothdrien, came into the room and bowed in the Minbari fashion, with fingers templed in front of her as she bowed.  
"Shai Alyt Shaniel, _Yamato_ is on an approach vector to the port and will be splashing down briefly and cruising into port in approximately an hour."

Shaniel nodded to her and told her to wait by the port. "Amazing. Did you know that our earliest spaceships also splashed down in the sea and sailed into port? It was long ago, perhaps 1500 years, but it was easier to land on water than on land, I guess. I once watched an ancient video of it, and it was amazing to watch."

Sheridan smiled and said, "Well, then, let's make our way to the port and watch the ship come in!"

**On board _Yamato_**

**Cruising towards Valendor **

**9:10am**

Derek Wildstar was amazed at the view of the massive city before him as _Yamato_ sailed its way towards the port. The gigantic crystalline structures of the city reminded him so much of Queentown from Iscandar.

Susan Ivanova and Elizabeth Loughley stood beside him, as well as Nova.  
"I have to admit that I was nervous as hell when you said you were going to sail this ship down onto Minbar, but that was the smoothest ride I've ever had through an atmosphere. Good job, Venture."

"Thanks, Ivanova. I've had some practice at it, and not just only on Earth."

Derek made an observation, "This brings back memories, doesn't it Venture?"

Mark Venture nodded and replied, "Sure does, Wildstar. It seems like ages ago when we went to Iscandar, and it was just a few short years ago."

Nova Forrester sighed mournfully, "But its no longer there, sad to say.  
The image of it blowing up still gives me nightmares."

Loughley spoke up, "Maybe yours did, but who's to say that there isn't another one, and Starsha and the rest aren't on it. So far, the visions I had in my dreams have come true, and it seemed to me that this Iscandar that you spoke of was still in existence, in some way."

Nova nodded and mused, "Maybe. I guess we'll have to be patient and see how this plays out. I have this feeling that much larger powers are coming into play here."

Mark nodded and then got on the ship's intercom system, "Attention all hands. We will be docking in ten minutes. Prepare to lower the gangplank."

"Yeah, this brings back memories, sure enough. noted Nova."

**On board USS _Wildstar_**

**Orbiting the Minbari moon Valeria**

** 9:10am**

Captain Stephen Ashcroft and Bajoran General Kira Nurys were watching the Yamato cruise into the dock at a rather large city on the homeworld of a race they had learned were called the Minbari. They were still cloaked, because they were deciding just what to do next.

"I wonder if that other ship saw us.," remarked Kira.

"If I had to guess, I'd say they did. But we aren't sure of that, so we have some time to think about it. _Defiant III_ caught sight of them just in time, or we might have attacked the wrong ship. Lord knows if we hadn't seen them attack the Drakh first what we would have done."

"So, what do we do now? Do we beam down and introduce ourselves..."

Ashcroft shook his head, "Nope, we definitely don't do that. At least not yet. We can take the _Defiant III_ down since it can land on a planet's surface. But we'll wait until we're ready."

Montgomery chimed in on his comm badge, "Montgomery here, sir. I think you and General Kira should come to the bridge."

"What's up, Lieutenant Commander," replied Ashcroft.

"Sir, it looks like we've picked up a visual on another alien craft entering the Minbari system. Unknown identity. When we hailed it, a Federation officer answered the hail."

Kira got a lump in her throat and her face went white. She spoke into Ashcroft's comm badge and asked, "Which officer did you speak to,  
Montgomery?"

Montgomery sighed and replied, "It was Captain Benjamin Sisko, sir. He told us that he was landing on the planet and that you should accompany them in the _Defiant III_."

Kira looked to Ashcroft for an answer, but he didn't have one. All he said to Montgomery was, "Prepare an away team, Montgomery. You, Litinova, and whomever else you think we need. Kira and I will join you in transporter room five to head over to the _Defiant III_. Ashcroft out."

"Aye sir. Shall I send you the image?"

Ashcroft replied, "Go ahead.," and the image appeared on screen. It was a golden ship, almost like an ancient space shuttle from the twentieth century on Earth.

"Now the fun begins.," Ashcroft said to Kira, in a very unamused voice.

**On board _Yamato_**

**Docked in Valendor **

**9:45am**

Derek Wildstar was nervous for one of the rare times of his life. As they were docking in the port, he and the rest of the crew saw a massive crowd jamming in and around the seaport. Almost all of them looked like the bone-headed man in his dreams, with baldheads and flowing robes in a variety of colors.

He, along with Nova, Venture, Stephen Sandor, Homer Glitchman, Susan Ivanova, and Elizabeth Loughley, stood by the door to the gangplank, waiting to have the stairs fully deploy and the door to open. Dash Jordan and Christopher Eager, along with chief fighter pilot Josh Conroy and engineers Hiro Yamazaki and Chris Orion, joined them at the door.

Eager eagerly spoke up to the rest, "You should see the crowd outside! It's a veritable sea of people!"

A voice came over the intercom that Derek recognized as Merrill Ryder, backup on radar to Eager, "Gangplank deployment complete. Opening gangplank door."

The door opened, and they were temporarily blinded by the sunlight. When their vision came back, they were greeted by a massive roar the likes that they hadn't seen since they returned to Earth with the cure for the radiation poisoning three years earlier. They still had the device, called the Cosmo DNA for some reason that Derek didn't know, on board in storage, disassembled. They never knew when they might need it again.

Derek looked out, and it was as Eager told him: a sea of people, cheering and chanting in a language different from his own. There was a wide pathway cleared in front of them, and a delegation of some of the bone-headed Minbari and some Humans were there to greet them. One of the Minbari females, clearly the leader of the delegation, had hair, which came as a surprise to him.

They descended down the stairs and made their way onto the dock. Derek walked up to the Minbari female, gave the traditional salute, and said, "I'm Captain Derek Wildstar of the EDS _Yamato_. "

The Minbari female steepled her fingers in front of her and bowed, saying in reply, "My name is Delenn of the Minbari. Welcome to the holy city of Valendor, home of the Sisters of Valeria. Please, come this way.I'll make the introductions as we go along."

They made brief introductions and began to make their way into the city. Garibaldi walked up beside Ivanova and spoke to her, "Figures you'd be a part of this craziness, Susan. You always had a nose for trouble."

Ivanova snorted, then smiled. "And it figures you'd be around when all hell breaks loose. Get us in the same solar system together and things just have a way of getting chaotic."

Garibaldi laughed and said, "So, do you know what all of this is about?"

"Loughley can tell you more than I can, but I get the feeling we're about to find out more soon."

Garibaldi turned to Loughley and said, "So, what brings you out all this way from the station"Loughley replied, "It's a long story and I'll tell you soon enough. So, Garibaldi, how's Lise and Mary?"

"Fine, back on Mars, although I'm sure my wife is going apoplectic about this attack. Mary's too young to know any better."

Loughley smiled and asked the question she always asked whenever she ran across Garibaldi, which was always difficult, but she had to ask: "Still sober?"

Garibaldi stood there calmly and replied with the answer he always gave, "Like a judge.," and smiled. Both of them battled alcoholism, and that had surprisingly brought them closer together, where once they had been nearly at each other's throats.

Garibaldi changed the topic to make the conversation more enjoyable, "You know, this makes that whole deal with the Soul Hunters seem like a normal day at work! I mean, here I am, visiting President Sheridan and Delenn, catching them up on some intelligence I had come across, when all hell breaks out. I'm thinking, 'Figures that whatever God there is would punch my ticket just as things were going my way.,' when, lo and behold, some battleship from Earth's distant past somehow becomes space worthy and decimates an entire Drakh fleet."

Ivanova laughed, "Well, after the time we spent on Babylon 5, Garibaldi, you should be used to this kind of thing."

**Palace of the Sisters of Valeria **

**Valendor, Minbar **

**10:30am**

Sister Drenan came to the Holy Mother and asked her, "Is it true?"

The Holy Mother, Roshann, looked up from the ancient text she was studying and translating into her computer and simply nodded. "It's true. The last prophecy of Valen has come to pass. He entrusted us, long ago, to be ready for this day."

Drenan looked aghast and said, "But, if I go see my daughter, it would violate the rules of the Sisterhood!"

Roshann smiled and said, "My dear, when a prophecy of Valen comes into conflict with the rules of the Sisterhood, you should know which takes precedence." Roshann opened a drawer in her ornately decorated desk and handed Drenan a key and what looked like a map. "Take this down into the catacombs below the palace and make your way to the vault indicated on the map. There, look for a box with the words on the map engraved on it and open it. Study it carefully, and, when you are done, take the box to your daughter and show her what is inside. She will understand."

Suddenly, Theneen came running into the room. The youngest of the Sisterhood, she still retained the charming youthfulness that won over her teachers when she was a mere acolyte. "Holy Mother, a golden ship has appeared in the system! It is the same one you taught me about several days ago."

Roshann's eyes went wide, and sprung from her desk with an agility that was unknown for someone of her advanced age, taking them by the hand and leading them out. "Hurry! We must go to the catacombs and find that box!  
Then we make our way into the city!"

**Government Palace of Valendor **

**11am**

Derek and the rest of his delegation was seated around a large conference table, across from the delegation that had met them. Ivanova and Loughley sat with them, just to the right of him in fact. Nova sat to his left, and, to her left, sat Venture, Sandor and Eager.

He had just gotten through explaining how they had arrived in this universe when the console in front of Delenn chimed. She took a earpiece and took the message.

"Delenn, forgive the interruption, but there is someone here to see you."

"Tell them to wait, Kitheel. I'll see them after the meeting.," whispered Delenn.

Kitheel replied, "She told me to tell you her name: Drenan."

Delenn's mouth opened slightly, shocked at the sound of the name. Her mind spun quickly, and she looked to her right at her husband, John Sheridan. She managed to compose herself and said, "If you will excuse me, something has come up that requires my attention at the moment. President Sheridan will take over the meeting until I get back. John, if you please."

Sheridan was clearly caught off guard by whatever Delenn had heard, but snapped himself back into composure and began again with the debriefing as Delenn made her way out of the room.

An acolyte took Delenn to a private room, where she was reunited with the woman who had given birth to her so many years ago.

Delenn managed to speak, "Hello, Mother! Why are you here," still not believing that her mother was before her. Shortly after giving birth,her mother had been accepted into the Sisters of Valeria, and she had only seen her mother twice since her birth. Once before the Holy War Against the Humans, with her mentor Dukhat, and once before taking her ambassadorial post on Babylon 5, and both those times were at the Palace. For her to come to see Delenn was a massive breach in protocol, so whatever the reason was, it was very important.

Drenan smiled and Delenn rushed up to her. They embraced each other and Drenan said to her daughter, "It is good to see you again my child, but I have much to tell you about. I have come here because I bring you something you need to read." She handed Delenn an old box and opened it for her, revealing an envelope with familiar handwriting."

Delenn's eyes went wide. "How did you know it was for me?"

Drenan smiled, "Do you think I don't know about how Valen came to be, my child? You are a child of his as am I! I know his Human writing as well as you do, having studied his personal texts that are not well known. That is why he created us so long ago, to preserve and protect his most personal thoughts and feelings."

Delenn opened the envelope and began to read. It was a short letter, just a couple of pages long, but when she was done, the face of Delenn looked as if she had been in the presence of Jesus Christ herself.

"So there is a reason for all of this?"

Drenan nodded and said, "Valen said that he would return in our hour of greatest need. It looks as if that ship is the same one he described in the letter I found addressed to me ages ago. You must be ready for them, my child."

Delenn knew what she had to do, but she didn't want to leave her mother again, fearing she may never see her again. "How is your health, Mother?"

Drenan smiled again and replied, "My health is good enough. I am not going to the sea anytime soon, but, if we should not meet again in this life, then I am sure to find you in the place where no Shadows fall!"

Delenn's eyes were watered over, and she stood and walked to the door, turning around and extending her hand, palm upwards. Drenan's eyes were misted over as well, and she replicated the gesture, a traditional one of parting with a loved one. Drenan made her way out a back door in the room, and Delenn stood there a moment, crying. Then she looked down at the box in her hands and the tears dried up. She made her way out of the room and back to where the others were.

The room was in chaos as there, on the screen, was the gold ship that she had just read about.

Sheridan looked as the door opened and went over to his wife. "Delenn, this ship just appeared out of nowhere and the warrior caste is trying to communicate with it, but they can't believe who they are communicating with."

Delenn looked at the box, then at her husband. "It is he, John. He's come back."

Sheridan looked shocked, but nodded and went over to the communication console. "This is Sheridan. Allow the ship to land at the spaceport. We'll be there briefly."

Garibaldi looked up at the screen again and shook his head. "I knew all about this...I knew what he did and why...but to see him back here again...it's almost too much!"

Ivanova was beside him, with her hand on his shoulder, "It's really him! C'mon Michael, we need to get to the spaceport."

Derek and the rest came with them, boarding three shuttles as they watched the golden ship ease it's way down onto the landing pad. A crowd was gathering already, but they did not know who was on board. Derek had heard that this was a man named Valen, who was a very important figure in Minbari history. He was surprised at how the Humans in the room took to the news of his return, which made him even more perplexed.

They arrived at the spaceport just as the ship touched down, and the group was whisked to the pad on which the ship landed. Delenn and the rest made their way onto it, and stood outside the ship as the doors opened and a ramp began to extend from it. A man wearing a brown robe with his head covered came down the ramp and stood before Delenn. He then removed the covering from his head.

It was Valen. He spoke, in English, to Delenn, "Hello old friend. It's been a while."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

**The Pieces of the Puzzle Come Together **

**  
**

**On board _Defiant III_**

**January 25, 2271 **

**2:30pm**

Bajoran General Kira Nurys and Starfleet Captain Stephen James Ashcroft looked at each other as Captain Sisko, along with two people who identified themselves as Interstellar President John Sheridan and Vice President Delenn, were on the screen. They were in his office, the "ready room", conversing with them and the both of them were still trying to figure out if this was real or some bizarre simulation on a holodeck.

Sheridan spoke to Ashcroft, "You have our permission to come down. We know your ships are up there, so you need no longer be cloaked. We pose you no harm. Just come down on the _Defiant III_ and land at the coordinates we are sending up and everything will be explained to you, or as much as we know right now."

Ashcroft walked away for a moment, concern on his face. He figured that Sisko somehow knew they were there, and suspected that they may have been seen during the last of the Drakh attack, when they destroyed the fleet that was the "Plan B", intent on bringing the same plague to Minbar, as they had to Earth. Things seemed to be spinning out of control, but it seemed to Ashcroft that if he didn't go down there, it would be the wrong decision.

He turned back, straightened his uniform, and replied, "Mr. President, I am not technically the commanding officer of the _Defiant III_. That would be General Kira Nurys. If you don't mind waiting, we'll talk about this and let you know what we come up with."

"Understood.," said Sheridan with a nod, and Ashcroft commanded the screen to go blank.

He turned to Kira, "What do you think?"

Kira looked him in the eye and said, "I know we have to go down there. This seems to me to be right along the lines of my vision. We can take a small crew, and I know the Kai would want to come along. It's not like we can't escape if it's some sort of trap."

Ashcroft went back to his seat behind his desk, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes, staying silent for a few moments. Then he opened his eyes back up and asked Kira, "You sure about this?"

Kira nodded her head and Ashcroft spoke a command to the monitor, "Resume."

Sheridan was sitting on his desk, Sisko standing to his side, talking. Delenn, sitting in a chair in front of the desk, with her son, David, in her lap, was looking at the monitor. Sheridan asked, "So are you coming down?"

Ashcroft nodded and replied, "It's confirmed. We'll be down shortly. We have to transport over to Defiant III. Give us about twenty minutes."

Sheridan shook his head, "Twenty minutes," then looked at Sisko, who had a smile on his face. "Ok, see you then."

The link went dead and Ashcroft and Kira stood there in the ready room, silent for a moment. He turned to her and asked, "Well, I guess we're committed to the path now, aren't we?"

Kira nodded her head and they made their way to the transporter room, to join the rest of their away team.

**Government Palace of Valendor **

**2:45pm**

Sheridan looked around the room, and then shrugged at Sisko. "Sorry, forgot about the whole 'beaming in' thing."

Sisko smiled and said, "No problem. It's to be expected. Do you want to go back to the conference room and have them brought here, or do you want to meet them at the spaceport?"

Delenn spoke up, "We should meet them there. We should also bring along Wildstar and Forrester too, so they can be introduced to them right away."

Sheridan nodded and added, "We'd better bring along Shaniel as well, just to be sure. I don't want to risk offending the warrior caste, not with everything going as well as it is."

Garibaldi came into the room, walking with a brisk stride that belied his age and underlined his background in law enforcement. "They're getting a little restless in there. Nothing major, but they want to get down to business. Are they on the way?"

Sheridan nodded, then asked, "Wanna come with us?"

Garibaldi thought for a moment and said, "Sure thing. Let me go tell Jeff...," Garibaldi snapped his fingers in annoyance, "I mean, Valen,  
and let him take over the meeting."

"Good idea. See you outside at the transport.," said Sheridan, and Garibaldi left to return to the conference room.

**Valendor Spaceport **

**3:30pm**

Sheridan looked up at the huge hulk that was the _Defiant III_, impressed with its size. Smaller than a Whitestar, it still was a formidable ship to deal with. Plus, it had the added bonus of having a cloaking device, which made that military part of his brain tingle. He would have loved to have had a few squadrons of these ships to go along with the Whitestars back during the Shadow War.

A huge ramp began to descend from the ship, and several people began to come down it. Sheridan recognized Ashcroft and General Kira, and was curious about who was dressed in the strange costume that had a similar nose as Kira did. Others in similar uniforms as Ashcroft's came down as well.

Ashcroft approached Sheridan and the two shook hands. "Mr. President, I'm Captain Stephen James Ashcroft of the Federation Starship _Wildstar_. My executive officer, Commander Katrina Litinova, is still aboard ship and may come down later as needed." He then pointed to a blond-haired, fit-looking woman and introduced her, "This is my chief of security,Lieutenant Commander Belinda Montgomery, and you already know General Kira Nurys of Bajor. She's the commanding officer of the starbase Deep Space Nine, which is close to where we came through the rift. And this is her exec on the station and commanding officer, Commander Paul Windsor..."

Once that was done, they walked their way back to the waiting transport that would take them to the government palace. The commanding officer from the Yamato that he'd been introduced to, Derek Wildstar, strode up to him and asked him, "So what inspired your...Starfleet, is it?...to name your ship the Wildstar?"

Ashcroft smiled and replied, "Well, I hate to bruise your ego, but we didn't name it after you," which won him a chuckle from Derek, "No, we named it because she was built to get into the tough scrapes. Usually Federation starship's primary mission is that of exploration, and that is what ours is, but every ship has to be ready to defend itself when need be. Years ago, the top brass decided they needed a class of ships that could fight not just one ship, but also several. Thus, the _Andromeda_-class was born. The _Andromeda_'s gone now, lost in the war with the Dominion and the Jem'Hadar, which I'll tell you about sometime, so we are the main flagship for the class right now. My friend, Captain William Riker, commands the _Hercules_, which is the other ship in the class."

Derek nodded, but didn't have a chance to ask Ashcroft anymore, because they arrived at the transport and boarded. It looked bizarre to him, more like a fish than a ship. Back during the battle with the Drakh,Derek had noticed them out of the corner of his eyes, and he noted how impressed he was with their look. They were beautiful, but they were also powerful.

It was a short trip, but an enjoyable one, as he took in the beauty of the ancient city below. According to Delenn, it was built after the arrival of Valen during the last Shadow war. Even though all he knew of the Shadows was from his conversations with Ivanova, he got the impression that they were an enemy that would have been almost impossible to beat.

Of course, with _Yamato_, he was certain that he had a chance at victory. He looked over at it and smiled, seeing it docked at the harbor, and still plenty of Minbari gawking at it.

They landed and made their way out of the transport. Ashcroft found his way over to Kira, who was bringing up the rear. "Something bothering you, General?"

Kira nodded and said, "Yeah, I guess you could say that. This city reminds me too much of the one in my dreams, but this isn't it."

Ashcroft nodded and replied, "Knowing the way things are going, we might just see it after all."

Government Palace of Valendor 5pm "And then I slam the guy's head into the table and said, 'Shazam? No, that's not the magic word!'," said Garibaldi, and the crowd laughed at the story, loudest among them was Valen himself.

A knock came at the door, and Garibaldi yelled out, "C'mon in," which had the folks inside the room howling with laughter. Ivanova stuck out her tongue at her and opened the door, letting in the new arrivals. "Ah, they're here! I guess we're all set to get down to business now!"

Sheridan showed the new arrivals to some seats at the round table, and Garibaldi cracked that the assembled were the new Knights of the Round Table with Sheridan as their King Arthur.

"Now, Garibaldi, what makes you think I'm not Arthur," jested Valen.

Sheridan gave his former chief of security a look, but couldn't help himself smile. Things were tense, so having a little bit of fun before the meeting helped ease it. But now it was time to get down to business.

"I know that I didn't mail out invitations, but I want to thank you all for coming. We're all here for a reason, and we are about to find out that reason. Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you, Genon, a member of the Legendora race.," and Sheridan pointed to the figure that was cloaked in a dark gray robe.

Genon undid his hood and stood up, and everyone who had not already seen him gasped at the color of his skin, which looked to be burnished gold. He raised his hand and spoke, "I welcome you all here, and thank you for coming. We have a lot of work ahead of us, and a lot of fighting to do. The enemy that I am here to tell you about is well known to us who are Legendora. It is our brethren, called the Ragendora, who split off from us ages ago because they sought to enact their own agenda of conquest and domination."

He produced a data crystal and plugged it into the reader, and images began to dance in three dimensions on the table. The ships they saw were made of dark metals, and were formidable. They looked like something out of a Lovecraft novel, and their power looked to be immense.

Genon explained, "They have dedicated themselves for the eons since they split from us to building their war machine to take over the various universes that exist. The Ragendora want to see only themselves as rulers and gods, and will destroy any race that opposes them. We have searched the various timelines for the right people to lead the fight, and we have selected all of you to help us. I must tell you that there is always the chance that we might still lose this war, despite our efforts, but if we do nothing, we will all fail and we will all die. I know most of you have doubts in your hearts, but don't doubt this: the Ragendora will not give up until they have destroyed their enemies."

This sobered them all, and Ashcroft looked around and saw that someone needed to ask the one question hanging over them: "So what do we need to do to win this fight?"

Starsha stood up and walked over to Genon, and spoke with her soft but firm voice, "This is what we need from you..."


	10. Chapter 10

Crossing Lines

Chapter 10  
Absences Are Noticed

Starfleet Deep Space 9 Space Station July 31, 2377 12 noon

The USS Enterprise-E and the USS Hercules were docked at the station,  
and her respective captains, Jean-Luc Picard and WIlliam Riker, were anxiously waiting for the acting commander of the station, Lieutenant Commander Hoshi Fuziyaki, to come back into the office. They had been sent by Starfleet Command to investigate why the USS Wildstar and USS Defiant III had not returned from their mission in the Delta Quadrant.  
Picard and Riker were both friends of Stephen Ashcroft's, and were worried about him and his crew. They knew that he rubbed the admirals and other bureaucrats in Starfleet Command, but he was someone who you wanted in any fight.

Lieutenant Commander Fuziyaki came into the room and made her way around to the seat behind the desk. "Captain Picard, Captain Riker, sorry I'm late. I had to deal with a situation at Quark's and since we're short handed..."

Picard held up a placating hand, "That's quite all right, Lieutenant Commander. I was wondering when you last heard from the Wildstar and the Defiant III."

Fuziyaki looked Picard in the eye and said, "Not since they went into the wormhole, sir. We've sent runabouts into the Delta Quadrant and there's been no sign of them. Sensors indicate they never came out of the wormhole."

Riker's face looked as if he'd taken a body blow, and he asked, "Have the runabouts done scans inside the wormhole?"

Fuziyaki nodded, "Yes, sir, they have, with no results. As far as I can tell, the ships haven't been destroyed."

Picard stood up and walked around the room, then turned back to Fuziyaki and said, "And the runabouts came back without incident?"

"Yes, sir. We scanned them for everything we could think of, and nothing was out of the ordinary. I wish I had an answer to you, but I'm at a loss."

Picard looked at Riker and then back at Fuziyaki, saying, "Well, we're going in and look for them."

Fuziyaki blushed and said, "If I may, sir, are you sure that is wise?"

Riker spoke up in response, "No, it's not, but we have to find out what happened to them."

Fuziyaki stood up, "Then I wish you both good hunting. We'll have all the runabouts on standby if you need them."

Picard and Riker stood up and began to leave, with Picard saying, "Thank you, Lieutenant Commander Fuziyaki. We'll keep in touch and let you know what happened." They then left the office.

Fuziyaki turned around and looked out the window into space, noticing the worried expression on her face. She whispered to herself, "I just hope there's something left to find."

On board the EAS Excalibur January 25, 2271 11am

Captain Matthew Gideon looked out into hyperspace, lost in thought, as his executive officer, Commander Daniel Matheson, was busy receiving reports from the various sections in his earpiece. Gideon had stuck by Matheson through thick and thin, and he'd been repaid by having the finest exec in the fleet.

Matheson looked at the scanner, then turned around and spoke to the Captain, "Sir, we're ready to jump into Babylon 5 space at your command."

Gideon looked up at his exec and nodded, "Good, jump into normal space."

The jumpgate began to flash and a huge yellow vortex opened up inside the gate, with the Excalibur flying through and heading for the station.

"Sir, we have a communication from the station. A Commander Moriyama is on the line.," said Matheson.

Gideon turned to him and said, "So Loughley hasn't returned yet?"

Matheson looked down for an instant and said, "No, sir."

Gideon nodded, sighed, and said, "Prep a shuttle for launch, I'm going over."

Just then, one of the radar techs, Kazmarek, noted an alert coming in from Sector 14, and spoke up, "Sir, we've got an unidentified object...check that...two unidentified objects in Sector 14."

Gideon and Matheson walked over to the display and saw what the tech was seeing. The two shapes didn't look anything like an Earthforce ship, but he had to ask anyway, "Is it the Titans?"

"No sir."

Matheson turned to the captain and asked, "Shall we hail them, sir?"

"Not yet. Let's proceed to the sector at full speed and find out who they are and why they're here. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can get the resupply done and back to our primary mission."

"Yes sir."

Gideon nodded and then said, "You have the bridge.," and walked off of it and back to his quarters.

He entered his quarters, threw his uniform jacket onto a chair and stared out the window for a brief moment. "If you're there, you might as well show yourself."

"I didn't know you had telepathic abilities, Matthew."

Gideon turned around and saw that Galen, the technomage, was in his quarters, as he expected. He knew he was on board, but hadn't seen him in days. Technomages were the modern equivalent of wizards, only they utilized technology to simulate magic. They had met years ago after Galen rescued Gideon when a Shadow vessel destroyed the ship he'd been serving on.

Gideon shrugged and said, "A man has to have his secrets. Do you have any idea what is up out in Sector 14?"

"Those ships coming through aren't of this time, Matthew. I've never seen them before. And the worst thing is, one of them looks like something from Earth's past."

"Earth's past? You mean one of those deep space sleeper vessels?"

"I mean an ancient Earth battleship."

Gideon shook his head, scarcely believing what he was hearing. "You mean to tell me that, in some other time, they took an ancient, sea-sailing battleship and made it space worthy? What did they do, put a jump engine on it or something?"

Galen was unfazed, "Something like that, although their technology is much different than ours."

"Moriyama said they headed out to Minbar, but we've had no word as to what's happened."

Matheson chimed in on the link, "Sir, we're about to reach the sector."

Gideon responded, "Good, I'll be up there shortly.," then turned around and noticed that Galen was gone. The door to his quarters never opened.  
"I really hate it when you do that," he called out to no response.

Founders Homeworld August 2, 2377 9pm

Odo had just come out of the Link and oozed himself into solid, humanoid form, walking onto the rock island in the middle of the sea of his people. They were changelings, non-corporeal beings who could, with the proper training, make themselves into practically anything or anyone.  
Odo, who was the former chief of security on board Deep Space 9, waited for the Jem'Hadar officer to beam down for the daily briefing.

Suddenly, he heard a sound unlike any he heard before. The sky, which was already dark due to the fact that their world was a rogue planet,  
free of the gravity of any sun, turned darker as some kind of cloud began to encircle the world. Odo looked skyward, and he noticed flashes in the sky, not knowing what they were.

The sound grew louder as he noticed the cloud was some sort of machine of some kind. He looked around at those in the Link, and he noticed ripples on the surface.

Another of his kind came into shape and made its way onto the surface.  
"What is that thing, Odo?"

Odo shook his head, "I don't know."

Then, points of light began to glow in the sky, and they rained down upon the surface of the planet, sending up rock and other materials.  
"Odo," said the other changeling, as it threw itself into Odo's arms.

Odo said one last word, "Kira," before the blast vaporized him and every one of his kind.

The Ragendora planet killer pulled away and then folded space and disappeared. Their experiment had worked, and they readied themselves for the next test. They were pleased with the results, and looked forward to the chaos that it would create once word of the planet's destruction spread. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**One Last Chance at Salvation**

**  
**

**On board EDS _Yamato_**

**In port at Valendor harbor **

**January 28, 2271 **

**12 noon**

Chief Engineer Miles O'Brien and Doctor Julian Bashir looked over the assembly of the machine that was, the _Yamato_ crew claimed, would cure the Earth of this universe of the plague unleashed upon it by the Drakh. Assisting them were the leading heads of the Minbari science community,and Sisko had warned the two of them to not make any jokes about "bone heads" or anything of the sort. At least when there were any Minbari around.

They were too busy to do even that, because the Yamato's chief science officer was working around the clock and he required their help, along with scores of others. They were almost finished with the reassembly of the Cosmo DNA, and were going to test it on an inner planet in the Minbari system called Gertalma, which was basically a barren rock like Mars was, except, to the best knowledge of the Minbari, there had never been life there.

Doctor Hector Perez, science officer on the EDS _Freedom_, was assisting as well, and his dark skin and smooth Hispanic features sort of made Bashir and O'Brien a little self-conscious of their looks. They both had thought that, had the three of them walked into a bar together, and all three were single, that Perez would have had more girls by the night than the two of them combined. The fact that he was a happily married Catholic man, absolutely devoted to his wife, was all the more annoying.

But they didn't say any of that, because his wife was also on Earth, and would be dead within two years if a cure could not be found. To Perez, this was a shot worth taking, and he was working as hard as Sandor was to get the machine ready.

Sandor stood up after attaching the last power coupling to the machine and turned to Perez, "That's the last of it. According to the readouts, the machine is getting full power, so we have the chance to make this work. How's it looking on your end, Doc?"

Perez nodded his head and said, "All indicators are in the green. We're ready for the test, as far as I am concerned. So when do we head to Gertalma?"

"In a couple of days. No one lives there and there are no colonies anywhere nearby, so if something goes wrong, I highly doubt that it'll affect Minbar. But we have to be absolutely sure, so they're going through all the various scenarios back on shore and they'll let us know something later today or early tomorrow.," relied Sandor.

Chief O'Brien spoke up, "Good idea. This is technology that I've never seen before, and I'm sure it worked for you guys on your Earth, but we have to be sure it's got a fair shot at working on this one."

Bashir agreed, "Right. And according to the notes I got on the plague from President Sheridan, it's not a biological plague. More like a nanovirus, so this could be a bit tricky. Are you sure you want to fly _Yamato_ into Earth's atmosphere and put all of the crew at risk?"

Sandor nodded, "We'll all be wearing space suits once we begin to enter Earth's atmosphere, and thanks to Chief O'Brien here, we have plenty of ultraviolet scrubbers to kill any of the virus that gets on board. Captain Wildstar and I spoke to the crew and said that all non-essential personnel would be allowed to leave the ship."

O'Brien asked, "How many will be staying on board the _Freedom_ or the _Wildstar_?"

Sandor simply said, "None."

Bashir looked astonished, "None? You mean they're all going to stay on board? Don't they realize the risks?"

Sandor nodded, "You forget that we had a similar situation on our Earth years ago, when the Gamilon radiation bombs almost wiped out all life on the planet. It would have had we not used the Cosmo DNA to purge the Earth of the radiation."

Earth Alliance Vice President Garrison Hollifield came out of the tube car and walked over to the four of them and asked, "How's it going?  
We're set to test tomorrow at 2000 hours on Gertalma, so I came down to see if you guys had this thing ready."

Sandor nodded and said, "It's ready, Mr. Vice President. Once the test is successful, when do we leave for Earth?"

Hollifield bit his lip and said, "I'm not sure. You see, there are plenty of folks back on Earth who don't believe this is possible.  
However, I've talked to the Pope, and she's agreed to lead a special interreligious ceremony in St. Peter's Square to try and get as many people to watch and participate at the same time. Granted, I think Bernadette II has her own reservations about this, but with the way things are back on Earth, she's willing to take a leap of faith, so to speak."

Perez nodded and crossed himself. "I'm sure the Holy Mother will come through for us. I don't doubt that she's had her own moments of doubt about her faith after all Earth has been through these last three years. My wife's mother, a woman in perfect health before the plague, died last year of a rare strain of pneumonia. Diseases we thought were eradicated ages ago are coming back with a vengeance. Personally, between the five of us, I think time is much more limited than what we initially thought it was. The five years was the best guess we could come up with at the time, and there's no guarantee that all life on Earth won't die out before then."

Hollifield nodded soberly and was about to say something until his communications link beeped. He pulled it out and took the call.  
It was his personal assistant, Dan Tanner. "Sir, we're receiving word from the _Excalibur_. They'll be in the system in twelve hours. She's also bringing two other ships with her."

"Good, anything else Dan?"

Hollifield heard the hesitancy in Tanner's voice, and his worries were confirmed when he said, "Sir, we got word that the President is close to death. You might want to come back to the _Freedom_ just in case. Justice Sophia Sabatini is on board and ready to administer the oath of office when the time comes."

Hollifield soberly sighed and replied, "Yeah, I'll be over right away. Hollifield out." He then turned to the others and said, "I'll see you tomorrow in orbit over Gertalma.," and he walked back to the tube car and departed.

Perez crossed himself again and said, "God grant him the strength to bear the burdens that he's about to receive."

**On board EAS _Freedom_**

**January 28, 2271 **

**3:15pm**

Hollifield was in his room, by himself, looking at his old friend Suzanna Luchenko on her deathbed in Geneva. She was barely hanging on,  
but she knew her time had come.

"Garrison, you know how I want my funeral to be."

Garrison managed to croak out, "I know. I've already contacted the mayor's office in St. Petersburg. They'll have your funeral at the Winter Palace, and they are already looking over the plans you laid out."

Luchenko nodded and said in a whisper, "Good. I have to keep up my image of the bitchy Russian diva, you know? Even in death."

Garrison smiled, "You never were like that with me."

Luchenko smiled, "No, because I loved you as a friend. Remember back before the Minbari war, when I was a Senator's aide and you were captain of the guard for President Levy, and we used to hang out at that bar by the lake?"

Garrison's eyes were already teared up, but the memory began to send the tears flowing down his face, "Yeah, I remember. We had some good times there. You were young and single and I was on the verge of divorce from my first wife."

Luchenko closed her eyes for a second, "It's not your fault she took her own life. She had her own demons to face and they just were too much for her."

"I know, but it doesn't excuse what we did. I just hope she can forgive me for what I did."

Luchenko smiled and said, "I'll ask her when I see her.," and then she closed her eyes and did not open them up again.

A doctor came into view and passed a medical scanner over her body, finding no vital signs at all.

"Stephen, is she gone," he asked Doctor Franklin.

Franklin nodded and said, "Yeah, she's dead. I wish you the best of luck, Mr. President."

"Thanks Stephen. I'll let them know and take the oath, then go make the official announcement to the networks. You'll contact John and Delenn?"

Franklin replied, "Yes, sir. I'll do that right away."

"Good. Thanks for doing your best, Stephen."

Franklin's mouth tightened into a grim frown, "My best wasn't good enough, I'm afraid. I just hope that this...Cosmo DNA, is it?...can do something, because things are getting desperate down here. Riots in America, suicide cults in India and China, and anarchy all across South America. We need a miracle, Mr. President, and we need it pretty damn quick."

Hollifield nodded and said, "I'll do my best."

Franklin replied, "I know. Godspeed, Mr. President."

"Godspeed," and Garrison signed off.

A voice came from inside the room, "My condolences."

Hollifield turned around and saw his old friend, the technomage Alwyn. He had aged a bit more since last he saw him, but the twinkle in his eye and the smile on his face was as warm as ever.

"Thanks. Didn't even notice you in the room."

Alwyn laughed and said, "Well, that's a damned thing for a telepath like yourself to have happen," and he walked up to his old friend, sobering quickly, "I know it is a huge burden you have to bear, but you can bear it. I'll be here to help you as best I can, for as long as I can."

Hollifield smiled and asked, "How are you doing?"

Alwyn frowned for a moment, but recovered with a smile, "About as well as a man of my years. How's Dan doing?"

"Good. He'll be glad to see you. Lord knows we had plenty of adventures back during the Shadow War."

Alwyn chuckled and said, "Ah, we did indeed. Well, you should be off to get sworn in and get used to being president."

Hollifield shook Alwyn's hand and left the room. Alwyn stood for a while and then spoke out loud, "Isabelle, if you have a moment, ask the Almighty to grant my friend the miracle that he so desires."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**An Unusual Place For A Reunion **

**  
**

**On board the _Freedom_**

**January 29, 2271 **

**11pm**

"My god! It worked, " said President Garrison Hollifield.

Gertalma was once a barren rock with barely an atmosphere, but, within an hour, it was a lush world of trees and oceans and grassy lands.  
Earlier, Queen Starsha had asked for everyone to visualize the world as living, and, once the machine was done, the world was vastly different than it was before.

Captain Twanissa Hudson had her lips puckered, looking at the new world with the potential for life. "So what do we do now?"

Hollifield closed his eyes and blew out his breath, then said, "We leave this world to the Minbari. For now, we have to prep for the voyage back to Earth."

Hudson got a call on her link. "Hudson, go."

"Captain, we just received word that the _Excalibur_ has just jumped into the system, as well as two other ships. One is similar to _Wildstar_, and the other is of a similar design. They're call signs are _Hercules_ and _Enterprise-E_. Orders?"

"Set a course to intercept. We'll meet them out there. Gideon has some explaining to do. Hudson out."

Hollifield was still looking out at the new world as she gave her orders, but now he turned to her and issued orders of his own, "Tell the _Titans_ to meet us out there as well. _Yamato_'s still monitoring Gertalma, and she won't be ready to head for Earth for a couple of days. Also, get in touch with the _Wildstar_ and ask them to meet us out there as well."

Hudson replied with a brisk, "Yes, sir," then began to head out the office, but she stopped at it and turned around. "Sir, if I may, it seems like we haven't had a chance to sit down and get to know each other since you came aboard a year ago and made this your home. Would you like dinner tonight?"

Hollifield blinked and looked at her, then said, "I'd be delighted. I'll see you tonight."

For the first time since he came on board, she smiled, then she turned and left the room.

"Cute, isn't she? I think she's interested in you!"

"Gee, Alwyn, you'd almost think I wasn't a telepath from the way you said that. I've known for a little while that she's been interested in me. Which is surprising considering the way we've been at each other's throats on several occasions since I came on board."

Alwyn laughed, "Ahh, sexual tension."

The door opened and Dan Tanner came in. "Mr. President, the Joint Chiefs will be calling in at midnight. I thought I would let you know. Here are the latest military briefs."

"Thanks Dan. We'll be meeting up with a couple of new ships before then and I'll want you to go over with Captain Hudson. Tell them that I'll be over once I am done with the Joint Chiefs, and who knows when I'll be done after telling them about all of this."

Tanner snorted and asked, "Which ships are we meeting?"

"_Excalibur_ is escorting a couple of ships that came through the rift in Sector 14. One's named _Hercules_ and the other's called _Enterprise-E_. Sheridan tells me that they have the ability to transport people and materials over through some sort of energy beam, but I'm not trusting it... you ok, Dan?"

Dan's face shifted into shock, "Did you say _Enterprise-E_?"

Alwyn looked up, "You know this ship?"

Dan said, "Yeah, I know it all right."

**On board USS _Hercules_**

** January 30, 2271 **

**12:15am**

Captain William Riker and his wife, Counselor Deanna Troi, were waiting by the shuttle bay for the shuttles from the _Titans_ and _Freedom_, curious at the designs of the two ships that were sending the delegations over. They were to meet with Captains Susan Ivanova and Twanissa Hudson, as well as Dan Tanner, a representative of the President of the Earth Alliance. There were other officers coming over, but the main parties would be Riker, Troi, Ivanova, Hudson, Tanner, and the man who just entered the shuttle bay.

"Interesting designs, aren't they Captain," said Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the _Enterprise-E_.

Riker nodded, "Rather primitive, in a way. They look like old Earth craft from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries."

The shuttles maneuvered themselves into the bay and landed, and the space doors closed. After a few minutes, ramps came down and several officers came down them from the two ships. The two leading the pack were similar: female, tall, striking, but one had jet-black hair and the other had dark red hair.

The shorter of the two, the one with dark red hair, came up to them and introduced herself. "I'm Captain Susan Ivanova of the _Titans_ and this is Captain Twanissa Hudson of the _Freedom_. " She thrust her hand forward at Riker.

Riker smiled and said, "I'm Captain William Riker, and this is my ship's counselor, Deanna Troi. This is also Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the _Enterprise-E_. It's good to have you aboard."

Hudson spoke up and said, in her Australian accent, "Thank you. On behalf of the Earth Alliance, as well as the Interstellar Alliance, I welcome you to this universe. The President sends his regards, but he is in a meeting with the Joint Chiefs and will shuttle over when he's done. His senior advisor, Dan Tanner, will be here in a moment. He's getting some reports for the President, so he should be here shortly."

Dan Tanner came down the ramp and walked up to them, and the collective jaws of Picard, Riker, and Troi dropped. Hudson, oblivious to all of this, made the introduction, "Captain Picard, Captain Riker, Counselor Troi, this is Da..."

Troi spoke out, "Data?"

The EarthForce officers looked around in confusion, but Dan Tanner looked stoic, finally saying. "Hello, old friends."

**Briefing Room aboard USS _Hercules_**

**6:30am**

President Hollifield and Alwyn were seated next to Dan Tanner (formerly known as Data), with Picard, Riker, and Troi sitting opposite.

Picard spoke up, "Last time I saw you, Data, you were beaming me out of Shinzon's ship and preparing to blow it up. So why are you here?"

Tanner stood up and spoke, putting his hands in his pockets, "When I came to, I was in drifting in space. My power was draining and I thought I was about to die, but then Alwyn came and picked me up in his craft."

Alwyn then took it from there. "I recovered Data about twenty-five years ago, back when Hollifield was a simple captain of the guard for President Elizabeth Levy. I helped train Date to become Dan Tanner, and Hollifield and I helped create a persona for him. When the war was over and Hollifield left the military, Dan Tanner became a trusted associate and went to work for him. I taught him how to interact with Humans as well as aliens and to behave like he was Human. And, so far, it's worked."

Hollifield took over from there, "I've known about Dan's true history from the start, and I vowed to keep it secret. He's been a valuable asset to the Earth Alliance as well as the Interstellar Alliance and me. Back when I was heading up President Santiago's Babylon Project, Dan helped me investigate the sabotage the first three stations, as well as what happened to the fourth. When I was deputy foreign secretary to the president, Dan was with me on every foreign trip. When I was chief of staff, he was my deputy."

Hollifield stood up and walked over to the window. "Then Santiago was assassinated at the orders of his successor, William Clark. I was sent to Minbar to become deputy ambassador there, and Dan came along with me. They thought it was just a way to get rid of me and smear me with the same brush they were using for Ambassador Sinclair, but we managed to find out the truth about what was going on and we helped the Minbari resurrect the Rangers, which led the fight not only to free Earth but to beat the Shadows..."

Picard raised a hand, "Wait, who are these Shadows?"

Hollifield leaned against the wall and replied, "There are beings in the universe billions of years older than any of our races. They walked among the stars like giants, vast, timeless. They created great empires, taught the new races, explored beyond the rim. The oldest of the ancients are the Shadows. We have no other name for them."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**Returning Home and Cleaning Up The Place **

**  
On board EDS Yamato **

**February 5, 2271 **

**4:30am**

Derek Wildstar and his crew were just coming out of warp when the first shot hit the port side of their ship. They were on their last warp to Earth, and things were delicately planned out. Federation ships _Enterprise-E_, _Hercules_ and _Wildstar_, along with Earthforce ships _Titans_, _Excalibur_, _Freedom_ and _Liberty_, along with a plethora of Whitestar ships, Minbari war cruisers and fighters, and a potluck collection of ships from other races. ISA President Sheridan had managed to put together the force literally overnight, and they were poised to attempt to have the Cosmo DNA rid Earth of the Drakh plague.

"Nova, who's attacking us," asked Wildstar as he was trying to get a firing solution on one of the ships.

Nova looked down at her console and found the profiles of a fleet of Drakh ships, "Confirmed, Drakh ships off the port bow. They'll intercept us in one minute."

Homer piped over a message from the _Wildstar_, "Yamato, this is Ashcroft. Don't worry about those ships. We're on an intercept course and we'll hit them in thirty seconds. Follow the _Hercules_ to Earth."

Derek spoke to Homer, "Tell them we're staying on course. Let them know if they need out fighters."

The _Wildstar_ flew across the bow of the _Yamato_ and headed right for the fleet, trailed by a plethora of Whitestars. Five _Defiant_-class ships detached themselves from the back of the warp drive section of the _Wildstar_ and surrounded the ship, and the ship also launched all of her fighters. Their fighters-small, three-person shuttlecraft-were loaded with phasers and quantum torpedoes, and were breaking off to attack the smaller Drakh vessels. They took out two ships almost immediately, while the Whitestars went after the larger vessels. _Wildstar_ went after the largest vessels, firing off her phaser banks and torpedoes.

Meanwhile, _Yamato_ was sandwiched between _Enterprise-E_ and _Hercules_, and was making ready to enter the atmosphere. He gave an order to Venture as they began to feel the turbulence from falling into the Earth's skies, "Prepare to deploy the wings!"

"Aye, sir.," replied Venture, and he began to press buttons in addition to keeping one hand on the main control for the ship. Derek turned around and looked back at his crew, who were decked out in space suits to prevent the plague from entering their bodies. The ship was also remaining at space status, which meant the ship was airtight, not letting in any of the air from the outside into the ship.

Hollifield sat to the left of Wildstar at the auxiliary station, watching as they approached the European continent. He tabbed a button on his wrist, activating a comm link. "Reece, tell the Pope that we're ready for her."

Reece Fitzsimmons, Hollifield's chief of staff back on Earth, confirmed it and went to tell the assembled religious leaders. Hollifield leaned back in his seat and sighed, "Well, we're in it now. Sandor, are we ready?"

Sandor looked over and said, "Yes, Mr. President. The Cosmo DNA's ready when you are."

Hollifield nodded his head in his suit, then smiled and said, "OK then.We'll take our cue for Her Holiness."

**St. Peter's Square **

**The Vatican **

**6am**

Pope Bernadette II was splendid in her papal vestments, but underneath them was a white turtleneck and tight sweatpants to help keep the chilly, rainy winter weather at bay. She walked out with the religious leaders assembled. She looked over at the Patriarchs of the Russian and Greek Orthodox churches and smiled, and they smiled and nodded back. She spoke out to the two Swiss Guards and they opened the doors for her, and she was immediately met by the site of hundreds of thousands of souls, all of them looking at her and her assembled religious colleagues for guidance.

The mass had just been completed and she walked up to the lectern. She was a short, Austrian woman who was more a bookworm than a vibrant, charismatic leader. However, having learned the lessons of her predecessor, Bernadette I, from the dark days of the Minbari War, she was able to lead the Holy Roman Catholic Church in an outreach to help those struggling with the effects of the plague. There were whispers that she would become a saint when she went to meet God, but she knew it wouldn't matter if she were elevated to that position if the ten billion souls on Earth were lost.

So this was the Hail Mary, an analogy from, of all things, American football. Leave it to them to screw up a perfectly good game, she thought as she put down her prepared speech on the podium. Vid cameras floated nearby to send her image around the world and across the galaxy, which was important for what was to come.

"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, I greet you all with the love of the Father and the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, who gave birth to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Today, we have a chance at redemption. A chance at salvation from the plague that has afflicted us at the hands of the Drakh."

As she continued on, she could hear the crew of the Yamato in the earpiece she was wearing. They would give her a signal and she would then direct all those to imagine the world free of the plague. As strong as her faith was, it was hard to believe that God would deliver into their hands a miracle like this. But, then again, God does work in mysterious ways, she thought.

The signal came from Homer, the communications officer, and she nodded, then addressed the flock, thinking back to the works of predecessors Pope John Paul II, Pius XV, Benedict XVIII, John XXV, and Bernadette I. She remembered a similar service held by her mentor and predecessor when it looked like the Minbari were going to break through the last line of ships defending Earth, and learned later that she had a vision of a beam from a Minbari Cruiser coming down upon the Eternal City and turning it into a slagheap of glass.

She shook off that mental image and found the strength of her faith again, raising her hands to her flock and saying, "Now, my children,  
think of our Earth healed of this plague, like when our Savior, Jesus Christ, healed the blind man and allowed him to see. This of our world as it once was: living, vibrant, and beautiful."

The crowd murmured as the waves began to course through the square. It was an unusual feeling, and a small part of her faith slipped momentarily, but she found it again when a vision came to her. It was of the ancient pope John Paul II, whose visage was before her. He said not a word, but gave her a blessing and smiled at her. She looked at him and tears came to her eyes. She continued, "Think of our world as whole again. Think of our world as free from the bonds of the evil doers and saved by the blood of our savior, Jesus Christ, who was crucified for our sins so long ago. Think of him as we pray for the Yamato to help cleanse our world."

The other officials were also up and giving their prayers as the waves continued to wash over them. It was if they were in some kind of light show, all consuming and blurring out the lovely skyline of Rome, one in which she loved and took comfort from. She looked up at the saints surrounding the square in statues, and noticed that they were alive, and giving their own blessings.

Then, Pope John Paul II, along side her mentor, Bernadette I, came before her and said, "Be well, my child. God is with you, and God loves you, as he loves this world, for he gave his only begotten son for its salvation." She closer her eyes and continued to pray.

**Geneva, Switzerland**

** February 5, 2271 **

**7:30am**

Dr. Stephen Franklin walked out of the Foundationist church, where he had attended the service to help the _Yamato_ cure the world. His scientific mind scoffed at the idea, but his heart had clung to it and held on like his life was depending on it. In a way, it was.

It was lightly snowing against the backdrop of the massive and imposing structure that was EarthDome, home of the government of the Earth Alliance. He was walking back to his office and looked at the fir tree that had been dying for weeks. Or, as he looked stunned, it had been dying. The yellow branches of the tree were back to the glorious dark green color they had been months before.

Dr. Ashwari Shaheen came dashing out of the building, looked around and spotted him, then ran over to him at full sprint. "STEPHEN! STEPHEN," she yelled as she made her way to him, tripping and falling into his arms as she held tight to the paper in her hand.

"What is it, Shaheen," Franklin asked, surprised at this excited expression from one of his chief assistants.

"It worked, Stephen! In Allah's name, it worked! The data's coming in and the nanovirus is GONE,"

Franklin couldn't believe it. He took the paper from her hand and looked over the numbers. "Are you sure this isn't a problem with the readings?"

Shaheen rolled her eyes and said, "Yessssss, Stephen, we checked, and rechecked, and checked again. We used three different pieces of equipment to check the readings, and they all came up the same: the virus is gone! The plague is gone!"

Hours later, Franklin was in his office, with President Hollifield by his side. "It's confirmed. The plague is gone. No sign of it. I don't believe it!"

Hollifield nodded and got up and walked to the window. "It worked all right. Not only did it cure the plague, it rid the skies of centuries of pollution. Before I got here, I read a news story that the mayor of Los Angeles fainted when she saw that the smoggy skyline that had been around since the early twentieth century was gone, and another about the mayor of New York exclaiming about the Hudson River being blue instead of brown."

Franklin shook his head, "You know, I went through the Shadow war and thought I'd seen it all. But this...this is just too much."

"I know. It's amazing. Let's just say that I'd better tell the Quartermaster over at Earthforce Logistics to get a good bulk rate on medals, because I'll be handing them out by the barrel full."

"Care to give me one," Franklin joked.

"Oh, you've got several coming, don't you think that I haven't forgot all the twenty-four hour days you've put in. I've got to head back to the 'Dome and get settled in. Catch ya later.," said Hollifield, who stood up and then shook hands with Franklin, then left the room.

Franklin laughed and turned off his computer, then headed out and did something he hadn't done in years: enjoy a night on the town. And from the way the streets of Geneva were packed with partying souls, he wasn't the only one by a long shot!

**Royal Palace **

**Centuari Prime **

**February 7, 2271**

Centauri Emperor Londo Mollari was in a position that would have been astonishing to his people: on the ground, clutching his neck and gasping for air. The Drakh, Shiv'kala, was taking out his frustration at the fact that the plague unleashed on Earth had been cured by some strange vessel. The Drakh Entire was stunned and shocked by the news, and they were reeling. The unknown forces had decimated their fleet that the Earthers had allied themselves with, and they were planning to hurry the new Centauri fleet along so that they can get their revenge on the Earthers for foiling their plans.

But tonight, Shiv'kala took his rage out on Londo. He wouldn't kill him, of course, because they had plans for him. Long term plans for him. And it would result in the final humiliation of Londo Mollari and the destruction of Centauri Prime.

He eased the constriction that the keeper embedded upon Londo's neck had on him, and let him breathe again. "Why...did...you...do...this," gasped Londo.

"It is a reminder of who's in charge here, Mollari. The Earthers got lucky, but they will not stop us from our revenge. Whomever these people are that helped them, we shall destroy them too. Sheridan and Delenn ran our masters, the Shadows, out of the galaxy, and we intend to take up where they left off."

He leaned down at the prone Centauri emperor and said, "And you will be helpless to stop it all from happening, Mollari. For when we are done, the forces of light shall be sent to their graves! I know you've been trying to defy me and the Drakh. But, resistance is futile, and you should give up on it." The Drakh then left the room and allowed himself to be engulfed by the shadows of the evening.

Mollari, knowing that he could die if the Drakh heard him, nevertheless whispered, "It is never futile."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**Summon The Heroes**

**Earthdome **

**Earth Alliance Congress **

**House of Commons Chambers**

** February 10, 2271**

House Speaker Lei Peng saw the Sergeant at Arms nod her head, and he banged his gavel and called the joint session of the Earth Alliance Congress to order. The Sergeant at Arms, Serena Ngoba, then yelled out to the assembled body, "Mr. Speaker, the President of the Earth Alliance!"

Members of Congress, Senators, Joint Chiefs, Supreme Court Justices, and selected guests rose to their feet and applauded as Garrison Hollifield entered the chamber. Much like presidents before him, he shook hands with members on both sides of the aisle, but this time, unlike those when it was more for show, this was sincere, The president took seemingly forever to make it to the dais as he was hugged and kissed by members of Congress, and politicians on both sides of the aisle had tears in their eyes as they welcomed their newly-sworn in president back to his homeworld. The applause thundered around the room for minute after minute, and it seemed that they weren't just congratulating the president for helping to cure the plague, but also celebrating their own survival.

He finally made it to the dais, took copies of his speech from an aide,and ascended onto the dais. He shook the hand of his newly appointed vice president, Fabiana Santos, as well as the speaker, and handed them copies of the speech he was about to give. Santos leaned down and kissed him on the cheek and spoke a few words into his ear, "Welcome back, Mr. President! Thank God that you were able to save us!"

He shrugged and replied, "I didn't do it alone, Fabiana. We had plenty of help." He then turned to the lectern, opened his speech, and set it down in front of him. Of course, he wouldn't read it from the paper, as he glanced at the TelePrompTer screens to see his speech appear on it.The people inside the chamber were still applauding, despite the best efforts of the speaker to gavel them quiet. Finally, the president raised his arms and motioned for the crowd to become silent. When silence was achieved, Lei Peng promptly broke it by bellowing out in his precise English, "Senators, Members of Congress, Joint Chiefs, Justices of the Supreme Court, honored guests. It is my pleasure to introduce to you, the President of the Earth Alliance, Garrison Hollifield!" Peng then joined in on the resumption of the rapturous applause, which kept going despite Hollifield's attempt to motion them to peace.

Finally, the assembled decided that they wanted to hear what the president had to say, so, slowly, the applause ended. Hollifield nodded,  
looked down at his speech one last time, and began:

"There is a saying that the Minbari have: faith manages. When they were on the cusp of wiping us out twenty-three years ago in the tragic war we fought against one another, I somehow managed to keep my faith that we would survive, and we did, as the Minbari woke up from their madness and grief for the loss of their leader at our hands and ended the war. In those years, our two races have become closer than we could have ever imagined, and they have given of themselves to help us out in our hour of need.

"It was with their help, as well as those who now make up the Interstellar Alliance, that we defeated the Shadows and Vorlons and secured our right to make our own decisions regarding our fate. However, a remnant of the Shadows, the Drakh, sought to punish us for running off their masters, the Shadows. They came here, initially, to destroy our homeworld with a device called a planet killer, carrying thousands of nuclear missiles that, had they succeeded, would have dug down deep into our surface and detonated, laying to waste all that we stand for. Thanks to the brave sacrifice of the crew of the Victory, however, they were denied their vengeance of our destruction. However, we did not know how low they would stoop to see us wiped out.

"They seeded our homeworld with a virus set to kill us all in five years. Not all at once, but slowly building up to a final extinction of all life on this planet. Sadly, we've lost millions already to this virus, including my predecessor and good friend, Suzanna Luchenko. For most of you, you only saw her public and political side, and you don't know the personal and private side like I knew."

**Flashback: September 22, 2245 **

**Gridiron Bar and Grille Geneva, Switzerland**

Captain Garrison Hollifield was glad to get a break from his duty for a while. He was frustrated with still being in his position as captain of the president's personal guard, mostly because he really wanted to be a Starfury pilot and lead his own squadron. However, his father, a famous Dilgar War veteran who, fifteen years later, still suffered from the horrific sights he saw in the war, had personally asked President Elizabeth Levy, an old classmate of his, to not have his son serve in combat duty. Normally, a soldier wouldn't mind being in his elevated position, but it chided him because he didn't want the preferential treatment.

Now, with the Minbari War going on, he really was chomping at the bit to be reassigned to combat duty. He even pleaded with President Levy herself to order the generals to reassign him to no avail. So, here he was, sitting in a bar, nursing a beer and waiting for his girlfriend to arrive. He supposed he could go see his wife, but their relationship had deteriorated since he joined the military, and especially since the war began.

Victoria Estes was a struggling jazz singer, making the rounds on the road, when she met the undergrad while playing at Lucky's just off the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was an interstellar relations student, in his final year of college. He had just broken up with his girlfriend, Keely, and was drowning his sorrows while listening to the music. She caught his eye and smiled at him, and he intrigued her for some reason. When she finished her performance, she came over to him and sat at his table. They talked from the time she sat down until the time the bar closed, then accompanied him back to his place and they spent the weekend together in his bed.

They married a year later on the Kennedy estate at Cape Cod, which was now a historical site. He had entered the Masters of Business Administration program at Harvard, and she was the star of the jazz scene in the American Northeast, playing clubs in Boston, New York,  
Toronto, Philadelphia, Washington, and so on, with occasional excursions to jazz centers like New Orleans and Chicago. They later moved to Washington, where he worked on his law degree at Georgetown. His goal at the time was to start his own media company, and to give acts like hers a chance to shine.

It was in Washington where things began to go wrong. It was Victoria's hometown, and her parents were descendants of the power elite that used to rule the free world until the Earth Alliance came along. Washington was still the capital of the American Consortium, but the place had lost a little bit of its luster since the United States technically ceased to exist. Her parents were active in one of those Beltway standbys, a Washington think tank, and were major players on the DC social scene. They had a big family of four sons and five daughters, with Victoria being the youngest. She was the black sheep of the family, and, to her parents' chagrin, she skipped college to start touring with her jazz band from high school.

So living in Washington meant seeing her family, and they were trying to force her to give up her music career and finally go to college and "get a real job". They also didn't like Garrison because he was from North Carolina, and, thus, a "damned redneck". With all this stress in her life, which included the absence of her husband due to school as well as his job working for the Washington Generals professional football team, she began to turn to drugs as a release. Garrison, once he found out about her habit, tried to get her to quit, but she just fought with him and, once night, literally threw him out of their brownstone in the Georgetown section of Washington.

That night, he got smashed drunk and wandered the streets of Georgetown looking for trouble, and he found it in the likes of a teenaged hooker who looked like a junkie. "Hey, mister, wanna get your rocks off? Just a hundred credits!" He smiled, took her by the hand, and led her back to a run down hotel a few blocks away.

When he woke the next morning, he had a hangover from hell. He turned to look and saw her there lying beside him in bed. It was then that it struck him that he'd just shagged a sixteen year old. He left the hotel, leaving his credit chit on the night table, which had much more than the agreed-to 100 credits. He walked back to his brownstone, fumbled for his keys and opened the door. His wife was lying there, with a needle sticking out of her arm. That was when he broke down and cried his eyes out.

He soon moved out and in with some friends of his, one being Suzanna Luchenko, who was attending Georgetown to get her Masters in Political Science. He lived there and got his law degree, and was soon working for a prominent law firm. But he hated it, and one night, he and Suzanna went out on town and talked about things. They had a few drinks and went back to their home and lay on her bed for a while, talking. One thing led to another, and they were soon naked and making love to one another.

It was her that encouraged him to enter into EarthForce. His uncle and aunt, who raised him when his father had to be committed for his mental breakdown, objected, but he satisfied them by saying he would leave when he had fulfilled his term. His in-laws were oblivious, but his wife went nuclear on him. She moved out of Washington and to New Orleans, where she became a star jazz performer with her lover, Peter Andre.

Years later, Suzanna came into the bar in Geneva and sat down in front of Garrison. She knew about his problem, but secretly she was glad he was still guarding the president. These days, she was aide to Russian Senator Vladimir Petrovski and being groomed to eventually run for office herself one day. But, right now, she didn't care; because all she saw was her friend and sometimes lover pouring down a Foster's. She ordered a Heineken herself, and she touched his arms, asking, "Are you ok?"

He smiled and said, "I saw the latest report on the war. We lost Powell station off Betelgeuse V to the Minbari advance. Lost some good friends there."

She looked down and said, "I'm sorry."

He shook his head, "Don't be. If it hadn't been for that son of a bitch that commanded the _Prometheus_ firing on that Minbari ship, we wouldn't be in this mess. Scuttlebutt says we killed their leader and they've gone mad with rage, and you know how scuttlebutt is."

She smiled and said, "You want to go back to my place?"

He nodded and said, "Sure. I've got a pass for the weekend, and I don't have to be back until Monday at 6am."

Suzanna smiled again, went over and paid the tab, and they walked out of the place.

**Earthdome**

** Earth Alliance Congress **

**House of Commons Chambers **

**February 10, 2271**

He looked over at Captain Elizabeth Loughley and went on with his speech. She was the only one who knew of that night where his moral center went out and he slept with that hooker. The hooker was living nearby in a burned-out hotel with a friend, and, when she finally woke up, she saw that her friend had died from choking on her own vomit. It scared her so bad that she called her dad, who was a Marine, and he, along with six of his buddies, took her back home. She went to Earthforce Cadet School and later Earthforce Academy, where she met John Sheridan and briefly married him for three months.

Years later, they met again on Babylon 5, where Hollifield was Earth envoy to the Interstellar Alliance in its first year. She had just become commanding officer there and didn't know his name. When he entered her office for the first time, he was stunned to find that the hooker he had slept with was now commanding officer of the station. It took a few weeks before he tearfully admitted it to her that he was the guy who had slept with her and begged her forgiveness. Touched by the admission, she forgave him and they soon became very close friends.

He looked around the balcony and continued with his speech, "We were in dire straits, but, as it seems to be sometimes, miracles do happen. When I was growing up at the Cherry Hill Earthforce base with my aunt and uncle, I went to a Baptist church, and I remember the preacher telling me the story of a woman who was driving her skimmer down I-40 towards Wilmington when she had a heart attack. As she was struggling with it, she accidentally hit the manual switch and the computer turned over control to her, and she promptly crashed into a guardrail, right in front of an ambulance that was parked nearby at a roadside store on break. They came over and saved her life. The pastor then said, 'The Lord works in mysterious ways."

"My friends, I do not know why these ships from another time appeared here to help us in our darkest hour. I know that the rift in Sector 14 is a mystery to us, and whomever controls it must have been watching out for us. We have our friends from the _Yamato_, the _Wildstar_, the _Hercules_, the _Enterprise-E_, and the _Defiant III_ to thank for their aid, and we honor them by awarding them the highest honor that we can give them."

After the speech was over with and the members assembled in the Rotunda for the awards ceremony, Hollifield took a moment to go to the bathroom. After finishing up in the toilet, he washed his hands and took a moment to wash off his face. As per security protocol, he was alone in the bathroom, and armed security was outside.

He looked into the mirror and said aloud in a whisper, "I hope I'm doing right by you, Suzanna, because if you only knew what was coming, you would have wanted to be here to help me bear this burden. I had to stand up there and act like I was happy for our salvation, but they don't know that we are still in peril of being wiped out, this time by a race that makes the Drakh look like earthworms. I know I have some help with these new allies, but the sheer magnitude of what we're facing...it's unbelievable!"

He turned away from the mirror and thought for a moment, then turned back and saw her image in the mirror. She said, "Don't be troubled, my old friend. You can bear this burden, because you have only scratched the surface of what you are and what you can do."

He blinked and her image was gone, replaced by his own. A knock came on the door, and it was Captain Twanissa Hudson. "Mr. President, are you ok in there," she asked.

Hollifield called out, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just rehearsing my speech. Be out in a second." He then placed the paper towel into the recycler and walked out, looking back at the mirror for a second just to see if she would reappear.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

**Smoozing on a Wet Winter Evening in Geneva **

**  
**

**Luis Santiago Reception Hall **

**Earthdome **

**Geneva, Switzerland **

**February 10, 2271 **

**9:30pm**

The reception dinner was over with and so were the toasts. The crowd had made their way into the main foyer, where members of the Earthforce Marine Corp Band, who were its jazz band, entertained them.

President Hollifield was surrounded by a slew of Senators and Members of the House of Commons, and, from his tense expression, the politicos were already talking about new issues, as if the plague had been cured ages ago. Ivanova smiled at looking at his pained expression and sipped from her glass of ginger ale, and continued scanning the room. The president's newly appointed senior advisor, Dan Tanner, was spending a lot of time with his former friends off of the _Enterprise-E_ and the _Hercules_. From their expressions, they were still taken aback by how this android they served with for years now acted as if he were a flesh and blood human.

Ivanova knew the secret, of course, having been told years ago by Hollifield. It was a closely guarded secret, and one of the first acts that President Hollifield made was to sign a secret executive order exempting Dan Tanner from the law banning human-form robots. She still was amazed at him, and how Hollifield and the technomage Alwyn had been able to keep it a secret for so long.

Scanning further, she saw her friend Loughley dancing with Captain Matthew Gideon, commander of the _Excalibur_. Their relationship seemed to have grown a lot since she last saw them together, and she wondered when they might get married. That thought briefly brought up the thought of Marcus, but she deflected it and was reminded of Jeffery Sinclair's engagement to his longtime love, Catherine Sakai.

Speaking of those two, they were not here. After the success of the _Yamato_'s Cosmo-DNA machine, the two of them had secretly headed back to Babylon 5 aboard the same golden ship that brought them there. Earlier in the day, Hollifield had replaced her as commander of the _Titans_ and promoted her to major. He also gave her new orders.

Major Twanissa Hudson was also freshly promoted, but still commanded the _Freedom_. Ivanova was going to take over the helm of the _Liberty_ day after tomorrow, so it was a good time for Hudson to walk up to her.

However, Hudson didn't want to talk how to deal with _Victory_-class destroyers. "Do you ever think that those pompous frauds will ever leave him alone for a second," she asked Ivanova.

Ivanova snorted, then turned to Hudson and said, "Give them a couple more hours. The president's going to be here for a while longer. Why do you ask?"

Hudson sighed and said, "Well, I was hoping that he'd ask me to dance. For as much time as we spent together on the _Freedom_, you'd think he'd give me one at least!"

Ivanova laughed and said, "You never know, he might ask you before the night is out.," looking at him as she spoke to Hudson. Hollifield briefly glanced Ivanova's way and nodded slightly, but still was talking to politicos swarming him.

Hudson changed the subject. "So, what are you expecting to happen when we meet up again at the station?"

Ivanova thought for a moment, then replied, "Well, just because this part is over with doesn't mean that we have won anything yet. Starsha told us that we needed to meet there to go over the plans for the next phase of the operation, and I'm sort of looking forward to going through the rift again."

Hudson looked blankly at her and then said, "You may be, but that place gives me the willies. I read what happened to you on that mission, the full story mind you, as the president shared the whole details with me not long ago."

Hollifield waved off the politicos and made his way over to them. He greeted Ivanova, then turned his attention to Hudson, "I believe that I am in the mood for a dance. I've done my work for the day, and I wonder...Major, if you'd be interested in cutting a rug with me," he said, extending his hand to her.

Hudson smiled and said, "It'd be an honor, Mr. President.' she replied, taking his hand and letting him lead her onto the dance floor.

"They make a cute couple don't they," she heard behind her, and she wasn't surprised to see her old colleague Garibaldi behind her, looking on as the President began to dance with Hudson.

"Yeah, they do. I don't know what will become of it. He's been widowed twice, and she lost her husband in the civil war against Clark years ago, so I don't know if they are too bruised up to open their hearts again."

"Sort of like you?"

Ivanova nodded and said, "Yeah, sort of like me."

"Look, Susan, I'm sorry if I was a little too blunt..."

She waved off his apologies, saying, "Don't worry about it, Michael. It's not like I don't think of Marcus at least, what, a dozen times a day. So being reminded of him is a regular occurrence for me. Where's Lise?"

Garibaldi was glad for the change of subject, "She's flying back to Mars with Mary. Mary started getting sick due to the gravity and Lise figured that it'd be better for her back on Mars. Besides, my job isn't done yet. President Sheridan wants me in on the meeting with Starsha to go over the next phase, as well as you-know-who."

You-know-who soon showed up and walked up to them. The former Narn ambassador to Babylon 5, G'Kar, was as imposing as ever. His muscular body in its black and gold mottled skin would intimidate most sentient beings, but the way he was these days was far from a warrior. He had a glass of wine in his hand as he walked up, but he set it down on the bar, and Ivanova read that he did that out of sensitivity to Garibaldi.

G'Kar gave the traditional Narn greeting of clenched fists placed on his chest, and Ivanova and Garibaldi reciprocated. He spoke up, "So, I miss out on all the fun and frivolity that you all have been going through these past days! Just my luck that I was stuck on my homeworld, advising the new government and trying to avoid being made the Narn version of Pope there."

Garibaldi laughed and asked, "So how go the sales of the Book of G'Kar?"

G'kar pointed a finger at Garibaldi, "That's not funny, Michael. I never sought to be a religious icon, and I won't become one as long as I'm alive!"

Ivanova just had to retort, "Wonder if Jesus Christ ever said that?"

G'Kar responded, "Well, if he did, then he would have had enough sense to avoid being nailed to that totem pole..."

A voice behind him said, "It's called a cross, my dear ambassador."

G'Kar's face showed annoyance, and he turned ready to quarrel, but when he saw that it was Bernadette II, his face fell and he mumbled out, "My apologies, Your Eminence."

Bernadette smiled and said, "It's technically 'Your Holiness', but I'll let it slide. And don't think that Jesus Christ didn't have a sense of humor himself. Back in seminary, one of my instructors asked the class,'Did Jesus ever laugh?'"

Garibaldi could see the way the conversation was going and made his escape, heading over to where Sheridan and his wife Delenn were sitting with the crew from the Wildstar and Yamato, who were decked out in their dress uniforms. The Earthforce brass stayed away from them, not because of the others, but because of Sheridan.

Sheridan nodded as Garibaldi came up, saying, "Well, here comes the life of the party! Tell me, Garibaldi, what crisis is going to interrupt my fun this fair evening?"

Garibaldi pulled up a chair and sat beside him, retorting, "Well, Mr. President, I have some very bad news: they've run out of fresh fruit, so your SOL if you want another orange or banana tonight!"

Sheridan elbowed Garibaldi lightly, and Garibaldi acted as if he'd had a rib broken or something as the others laughed. Hollifield saw them cutting up and getting laughs from those at the table with them, even Delenn, who didn't laugh often.

He returned to his dancing partner, "So, when do you go back out again?"

Hudson snorted and said, "Well, Commander-in-Chief, if you don't know that, then you should talk to those sticks in the mud sitting over there.," and she nodded in the direction of the Joint Chiefs and their spouses, "Unless, of course, you want to change the orders and keep me Earth-bound or something."

Hollifield smiled and said, "What makes you think you're the only one who's going to be Earth-bound?"

Hudson looked at him, shocked, and asked, "Why put yourself at risk like that?"

Hollifield sighed and said, "My dear Major, there are many reasons, the main one being that there are more than a few people who are still miffed at the way we overthrew Clark and wouldn't mind giving me a nice little PPG wound somewhere on my body, preferably a fatal one."

Hudson nodded and sobered, "Knowing that bunch, no wonder you want to get away for a while from here until the veep settles things down.," she said, smiling at him, "So how much longer do you want to stay here, Mr.  
President?"

Hollifield smiled and said, "Not much longer, but I don't want to leave too soon and ruin the party. Once I leave, that's an unofficial signal that the party's over, you know? Besides, if you want, I have to find some acceptable way to sneak you up to my quarters without the press finding out!"

Hudson paused, "You sure?"

He nodded and said, "I've sort of known how you feel about me, Twanissa and I feel the same way about you. When you get to be my age, you have to take a chance at love when it comes, because you never know if it'll come again."

They smiled and she was tempted to kiss him, but she resisted because the media was still there. He whispered in her ear some instructions, then, once the song ended, he lead her back over to Ivanova, who was by herself again. "Now that I've danced with her, I think I'll dance with you," said Hollifield, who grabbed Ivanova's hand lightly and play acted like he was going to drag her onto the floor.

Ivanova's eyes went wide, and she momentarily protested, saying, "Oh no you don't," then she conceded and made her way to the dance floor with her commanding officer.

**Presidential Suite **

**February 11, 2271 **

**4:45am**

Hollifield and Hudson were lying together, snuggled up after making love in bed. Hollifield was sure the guards were chuckling about it, but,  
having hand picked them himself, he knew that they wouldn't reveal the happenings going on inside his bedroom to the media or anyone else.

She tightened her grip on his body, and said, "You know, we're going to have to keep up appearances on board my ship. Wouldn't want the crew's morale to suffer?"

Hollifield laughed and replied, "Well, we'll have a few days on board B5, so I guess I can sneak you up to my quarters for 'strategic meetings' or something like that!"

The both of them laughed, then Hudson asked, "When do you want to go public with this?"

Hollifield sighed, and then said, "When this is over with. Right now, we have to make protecting Earth, and not just this one, our top priority. Once that's done, then we can go public."

Hudson nodded in agreement, "Good. Lord knows that I've wanted to be here with you like this for a while now."

Hollifield kissed her on the lips and said, "You're not the only one, kiddo!" and they began to make love again.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**Settling In and Setting Off **

**  
**

**Earthdome **

**Geneva, Switzerland **

**February 14, 2271 **

**11am**

Presidential news conferences, started in the old United States back in the mid-twentieth century, had been the bane of the chief executive's existence for the three centuries that they had been around. Hollifield remembered how some of the old presidents abhorred them, like George W. Bush, Elaine Norris, Hector Ramirez, Shinzi Kantonaka, and, most especially, William Morgan Clark. He laughed at the fact that Bush and Clark came in the same line of thought, because, back in the early twenty-first, Bush's opposition accused him of trying to take over the government for his conservative power base permanently. If he only had been around when Clark was in office, thought Hollifield.

He took a question from Interstellar Network News reporter Ashwari Ghandi, whom he knew was a distant relative of the old Ghandi family who once dominated Indian politics. She looked stylish in her Indian-adapted business suit, and he found her attractive, but he also found her to be a tough bitch when it came to journalism.

"Mr. President, may I ask why you are leaving so soon after taking office for a conference on Babylon 5," she asked.

"Well, this had been previously scheduled before we were able to cure Earth of the plague. Now that Earth is free of it, we have to plan on what we want to do next concerning the Drakh. Granted, we're not quite ready yet to launch an offensive war against them, but we need to be ready should they decide to launch another attack against us."

She had, as always, a follow-up. Having been around since the days of President Levy before the Minbari War, when she was just a young cub reporter, he knew she always had a follow-up. "Mr. President, why should you go? Surely just sending the vice-president and/or the joint chiefs would be sufficient, would it not?"

He smiled and said, "Normally I would agree with you, but there is another reason why I'm going: I have to pack up my stuff from my quarters there and move them back here, and they are somewhat of a personal nature.," he laughed and the press room understood it to be a joke, "No, the real reason I'm going is that President Sheridan will also be there and this is a chance to have a summit with him on issues other than the Drakh. I guess you can say I'll be bagging two birds with one stone."

Having experience with the media for years, he handled the press conference like a pro. Questions ranged from the budget to whether or not he would be throwing the first pitch to open the professional baseball season, which was typical for the room. After two hours, he ended the conference and headed back to his quarters, where he grabbed his suitcase and made his way to the airport.

His new military liaison, Major Susan Ivanova, met him in the hallway. "Ready, Mr. President," she said in her on-duty, professional manner.

Hollifield joked, "And a fine howdy-ya-do to you too, Major! So do we get this carnival called the presidential show on the road?"

Ivanova smiled briefly, but covered it up in a blink of an eye. "Right now, sir. The shuttle is ready to take off and Earthforce One is expecting us."

Hollifield nodded and followed her out to his limousine, which, much like in days when a car's wheels actually touched the ground, was a long convoy of cars.

**Whitestar 93 **

**February 14, 2271 **

**4:30pm**

Hollifield remembered what Garibaldi told him once about a quote from his old friend, Londo Mollari: "On my world, we have learned that an inauguration is simply a signal to assassins that a new target has been set up on the firing range." He smiled at the thought, and remembered the old days when he was captain of the guard and Londo was diplomatic liaison to Earth for the Centauri Republic. Back then, neither one of them ever expected to be the ruling men of their respective homeworlds, but, as the fickle finger of fate would have it, they now were the center of power on them. Londo was now Emperor Mollari II, and he was a much different person today than he used to be, and only Hollifield knew why.

The captain of the Whitestar was a Swedish female, Olga Horvath, and this Ranger had all the classic features of women from that country:blond, blue-eyed, and very shapely. He had trained with her as a Ranger back when he was deputy ambassador to Minbar, theoretically helping Sinclair with his duties. But President Clark's real duty for him was to spy on him as well as the Minbari, and that gave him the critical role of playing the double agent. He sent back information all right, but most of it was false, or at least false enough. When he first arrived, he met with Sinclair and told him exactly why he was there and what the new president was really up to, and Sinclair, grateful to have an old friend as an ally and not an enemy, asked him to train as a Ranger so he could lead them if necessary. He was referred to as "Ranger Two", even to this day, even though it was not an official title. "Ranger One", or Anla'shok Na in the Minbari tongue, was the leader of the Rangers, but there was no official second.

Horvath bowed to him in the Minbari fashion, then spoke to him, "Good idea of taking this ship instead of Earthforce One. I can imagine that there are a few people who wouldn't mind seeing your life functions cease."

Hollifield snorted, "A few? You've never worked in Earthdome, have you my dear? I remember once, when I was Santiago's chief of staff, when he told me that he would not be surprised if at least half of the Earth Senate plotted to have him killed. Of course, he didn't think that Clark would be bold enough to have him offed."

Horvath frowned and said, "I never liked him, back when he was just a talking head on the vids. He always seemed to be someone who would stab you in the back when he got the chance, and he would do anything to stay in power."

Two days later, they were on their way in hyperspace to the last jumpgate before arriving at Babylon 5. He entered a shuttle and traveled back to Earthforce One at a time when all the reporters were asleep. Ivanova personally oversaw his arrival, and, next thing he knew, he was on board and in his suite. It was much more elaborate than the VIP quarters on the Whitestar, but Hollifield was not big on creature comforts. His senior advisor, Dan Tanner, had left him a stack of critical reports for him to read before he slept. _Glad I took that speed-reading course when I was at Chapel Hill_, he thought, as he began to skim over them.

**Babylon 5 **

**February 17, 2271 **

**7:30am**

Captain Elizabeth Loughley knew that the president hated pomp and circumstance, and had just wanted to come on board with as little fanfare as possible. So she took some delicious pleasure in assembling a full honor guard and had the entire command staff assembled for his arrival, which was sure to win her a grimace as he came into the reception area in the arrival/departure area on the station. Sure enough, he entered with his staff and, upon seeing protocol fulfilled to the maximum, he grimaced and shook his head. Loughley shot Ivanova a look and Ivanova responded with a sly smile. They'd scored one on the president.

President Hollifield walked up and shook her hand, and knowing that the media was around, had to look official. "Thank you for the elaborate ceremony, Captain. I was expecting more of a restrained reception, but it's nice to see the formality."

Loughley smiled and said, almost too sweetly, "Well, it's the least we could do for you, Mr. President."

A couple of hours later, the joking was over with, as he met with President John Sheridan of the Interstellar Alliance in the Rotunda.  
They fielded a few questions during the photo opportunity, then headed out for the conference room for the real discussions.

Sheridan and Hollifield entered the room by themselves, and Sheridan threw his jacket on one chair and sat down on another. "God, if you only how bad all of that crap with the media can be. Sure you don't want to resign and let Santos take charge of things?"

Hollifield laughed and replied, "Nah, she'd have me killed if I put her in a position like that. Besides, she's got enough on her plate as it is as the vice-president."

Sheridan and Hollifield sat next to each other and began to work on the next plan for the Drakh. They poured over the latest intelligence gathered by their respective agencies, and were able to conclude that the Drakh were up to something in and around Centauri space.

Before adjourning the meeting, Hollifield asked, "Is Ambassador Cotto around? If he is, I'd like to meet him and discuss some of what we've talked about."

Sheridan replied, "You sure you want to do that? I'm not sure if we can fully trust him."

Hollifield smirked and said, "Well, that's why I am wanting to meet with him, because I'm a telepath, and I can tell if we can trust him. I have my reasons."

"Why? Do you think that Londo is working with them?"

"Yeah, but I don't think he's doing it voluntarily. You know how the Drakh operate, just like their Shadow masters did. I wouldn't be surprised if they are working with this new Prime Minister of theirs, Durla."

Sheridan nodded and said, "I'll set up a meeting for later tonight in your quarters. We'll do it on the Q.T. and I'll contact Ivanova and Loughley so they can arrange it."

Hollifield went up and shook his hand, "Good. Thanks John. I'll see you tomorrow at the meeting."

**Presidential Suite **

**Babylon 5 **

**February 17, 2271 **

**6:15pm**

Ambassador Vir Cotto had changed a lot since he first came on board so many years ago. He was thinner, having taken up the very un-Centauri practice of working out. He also seemed to be much more confident and much more haunted about what he knew. Hollifield scanned him lightly and read that Cotto was extremely nervous. He took out a device and turned it on, and the device let out a short whine as it powered up.

"That's a jammer, isn't it," he asked.

Hollifield nodded and placed it on the table beside the sofa on which he was sitting. Cotto was sitting in an overstuffed chair opposite him, and clearly was uncomfortable despite the device's ability to negate any and all bugs that might be in the room.

"Something's up, Vir. And I think you know what it might be."

"What do you mean? If you think that Londo would consort with the Drakh..."

"I think that is exactly what he's doing, but he's not doing it willingly"

Cotto's jaw dropped and it took him a moment to respond, "Why do you think that way?"

Hollifield came to the point quickly, "Have you ever heard of a keeper?"

Cotto's face flushed and he stood up and walked around the chair. He turned back to Hollifield and asked, "How did you know?"

"You know I'm a telepath, Cotto. You also know that, against the Interstellar Alliance's protests, I paid a state visit to Centauri Prime a year before the telepath war broke out. I sensed it on his left shoulder and that's when I knew he was not in complete control of things."

Cotto sat back down again and didn't say anything for a while, then gulped down the glass of water sitting in front of him on the coffee table. He finally said, "I found out myself not long ago. But, if you knew that long ago, why didn't you do something about it?"

"Because I knew that if I did something about Londo without being ready to take down the Drakh as well, it wouldn't do much good. So I've had to be patient and find the right time to act. That's where you come in, Vir. President Sheridan and I need intelligence from Centauri Prime, and I have some old contacts that can help you out. Before coming here, I sent a message in a roundabout way to them to ask them to help you out. I know you are planning something, and you need all the help you can,and I'm here to offer it. However, we have to be patient with this."

Cotto nodded his head and asked, "Tell me what you need me to do."

When Cotto left three hours later, Hollifield went into the kitchen and opened the fridge, taking out a canister of iced sweet tea, a specialty of southeastern America where he was from. He poured himself a tall glass, then spoke aloud, "Would you like some, Alwyn?"

Alwyn came out of the bedroom with a smirk on his face, "I'd rather have some good Kentucky or Tennessee whiskey, but since you don't drink, I'll be glad to share some of that sweet tea with you."

Hollifield grabbed another tumbler from the cabinet and poured it full, then placed it in front of Alwyn. He took a sip of his and nodded,  
appreciative of how good this brand of instant tea was, because usually the stuff you were able to get in space was rather bland.

"So he knows now. I'm surprised Galen hasn't brought him on this sooner."

Hollifield nodded and replied, "Well, Galen doesn't know him as well as I do, and you've told me that Galen doesn't trust easily. When are you going to see him?"

"Tomorrow before the meeting. With the crisis now over, he might be tempted to go back to the hideaway and leave all of this to us, but his abilities are needed in the fight to come. It'll be a tough sell, but I think I can persuade him."

Hollifield nodded again, then took another sip of his tea. "With everything going on Alwyn, we need every resource we can get."

Alwyn smiled and asked him, "You know, it's not politically wise for a president to put himself on the front lines of a war."

Hollifield shrugged his shoulders and said, "I'm going with them, whether its politically wise or not. Dan Tanner is instructing the folks back home what to say and do while I'm away, and what to say just in case I don't come back."

"Besides, I'm the most powerful telepath we have, and we need that edge. If Lyta Alexander was still alive and I had a chance to train her myself, then I would be less likely to go. But she's dead and I'm here, and I need to go."

Alwyn shook his head, "That's the Garrison Hollifield I know! If I could vote, I'd vote for you."

Hollifield snorted, "Well, you should live in Chicago, so you can vote early and often. Now, if you will excuse me, I need some rest. I'll see you tomorrow, Alwyn."

Alwyn smiled and departed without another word.

**Remnants of the Founders Homeworld **

**August 8, 2377 **

**Time Unknown**

Odo was shocked that he was alive. He was also shocked that he was on board with Captain Benjamin Sisko and the others. The last thing he remembered was watching powerful energy beams slamming into his people's homeworld and seeing the changeling in front of him vaporize. He woke up in a strange vessel, not knowing if this were real or part of some afterlife.

He was resting in his bucket when the chime came from his door. He knew who it was, so it didn't bother him to be forced to return to solid form, and he'd had a good night's sleep for a change.

"Enter," he said to the computer, and the door opened and Sisko entered with the man with the bone in his head, whom Sisko called Valen.

"Odo, how are you feeling," Sisko asked.

"Better. How did you find me? Last thing I remembered before waking up here was watching my world be destroyed."

Sisko said, "I'm sorry we couldn't get here in time. We didn't expect the enemy to strike so soon. But I am glad we were able to beam you on board, because we're going to need your help for what is to come."

Odo asked, "Does it involve the people who destroyed my people's homeworld?"

Sisko nodded, "Yes, we believe it does."

Odo said simply, "Then you have whatever I can give you, because I want to see justice come to the bastards who did this to my world!"

Valen then spoke up, "Believe me, there are plenty of people who want the same thing."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**The Last Supper Before Armageddon **

**  
**

**Babylon 5 **

**February 18, 2271 **

**7:30am**

Captain William T. Riker and his wife, Deanna Troi, were walking down the Zocolo with their guide, Dan Tanner, towards the Fresh Aire restaurant, when he noticed that Tanner had turned his face towards someone sitting at a small cafe, drinking coffee. "Data, what's the matter," he asked.

"Not here.," Tanner said with all seriousness, "I'll get breakfast sent up to us in the presidential suite. The president needs to know about this right away."

Hollifield was surprised that his morning breakfast briefing with Dan Tanner had turned into a foursome, but he was even more surprised as to why Dan Tanner had brought them up here. While Riker and Troi ate breakfast, Hollifield and Tanner huddled in the bedroom.

"You sure its him? I've not felt his presence at all since he got here.," Hollifield said.

"It's possible that he's taking sleepers to hide himself from you. He knows that you are powerful enough to deal with him, so he probably thinks stealth would help him better than just coming out in full force."

"Yeah, but how stupid can he be? I mean, I've got more than enough reason to shove him out of an airlock and let him suck vacuum, but Garibaldi and Ivanova have much more reason to do the honors than I do, and they're both here for the meeting. And you know Sheridan wouldn't shed a tear to see him executed, so either Al Bester has lost his any common sense he ever had, or he's got at least one ace up his sleeve."

Tanner nodded and said, "What worries me is that he might try to do something with Commander Troi. She's just an empath, not even a P1..."

"Like Ivanova, although I'm beginning to suspect that her abilities are increasing.", Hollifield said.

Tanner nodded again and continued, "Good point, but he knows that he can't make a move against Ivanova. However, he might want to make a move against Troi and use her for some purpose."

"Why would that not surprise me, coming from him? Ever since the Psi Corps was dissolved, he's been on the run and I know Garibaldi has been sending people to take him out, or to grab him so he can off him himself. Hell, I've even leaked any info I came across to them so that he could get him without EarthGov getting it's hand muddied by this."

"What should we do?"

"I'll have them accompany us to the War Room. He won't try anything with my personal guard around, and he surely wouldn't with me around. Let's go tell them about the plan.," Hollifield said, and the two exited the bedroom and sat themselves down at the table.

Riker wiped his mouth with his napkin, then asked Hollifield, "Anything wrong?"

"Yeah, we've got a problem, and it has to do with your wife. Let me explain...," replied Hollifield, and he told them what he had in mind.

**War Room **

**Babylon 5 **

**9am**

Picard was standing by the large map of the galaxy, studying it intensely to see the differences between the one he came from and the one he was in right now. His mind still couldn't wrap itself around the fact that he was in a different universe, in a different time, where all the rules were different. He knew of what the Legendora had in mind, but he still couldn't believe that it was all happening.

"Something the matter, Captain," asked Delenn, who had walked beside him.

Picard turned and said, "Just studying the map and thinking about things. I have to admit that I am having trouble with understanding all of this."

Delenn smiled and said, "Captain, you are certainly not in the minority in that thinking. I sometimes think the universe..." She was interrupted by her husband, John Sheridan, who rushed into the room. He said simply, "Valen and Sisko are back, along with the others. We've got a problem."

Thirty minutes later, Odo was sitting in the War Room, being examined by Dr. Julian Bashir, as well as Dr. Stephen Franklin, who was now the president's personal physician. Bashir and Franklin conferred for a moment to compare results, and then addressed the others, "Well, he's suffering from effects from exposure to vacuum, but otherwise he's physically fine. I can't say much for the mental side."

General Kira Nurys was beside Odo now, with an arm over his shoulder and a worried look on her face. She couldn't believe the news of the Founders' Homeworld being destroyed, but thanked the Prophets that he had somehow survived. But her heart broke when she saw his mental state, and she wanted to find the bastards who did this and rip them apart with her bare hands.

"So, it looks like we have to change plans now.," said Derek Wildstar, "If the Ragendora are attacking openly in your universe, Picard, we need to go after them there."

Hollifield interrupted, "That maybe what they want us to do. It's important to remember that this may be a way for them to bait us into doing something they want us to do."

Nurys stood up and asked, "But what if there next move is to go after my homeworld, Bajor? Should we not go there?"

Sheridan said, "It's possible, but, then again, maybe their next target is this station, or Wildstar's Earth, or Picard's Earth. We need to find out what they are up to and where and when they plan to strike again."

Stephen Ashcroft stood up and said, "If I had to take a guess, it would be that their next target would be Bajor, because of its proximity to the wormhole. If we were voting on this, then my vote would be to proceed to Bajor."

They discussed the matter for a couple of hours and finally came to the consensus that they should send some of their forces into the wormhole, but not all. "It's settled. _Enterprise_, _Hercules_, and _Defiant III_ will go back into the rift with the _Yamato_, _Freedom_, _Excalibur_ and half of the Whitestars we have on hand. _Liberty_, _Wildstar_, and the other half will be on stand by here if they are needed. I'm appointing Major Ivanova to head the fleet from one of the Whitestars, and since we'll need a telepath, I'll go along.," said Hollifield.

Sheridan drummed his fingers on the table, thinking for a moment, then asked, "Are you sure that's wise?"

Hollifield replied, "I'm willing to take that risk. And to be sure that I have a chance to come back, I'm going to be on the _Hercules_ so that I have a fighting chance of getting back. Besides, the Ragendora may guess that I'm coming on the trip and target the Earthforce ships just to get at me."

Riker nodded, "It'll be an honor to have you aboard, Mr. President."

The meeting continued for a while, then broke up after another couple of hours of planning. Once it adjourned, he motioned to Garibaldi to join him over to the side.

"What's up, "said Garibaldi.

"He's here.," Hollifield simply said.

"Get out! How could he come on board without security knowing,"Garibaldi exclaimed in a hushed voice.

"I don't know, but Dan Tanner got a positive ID on him in the Zocolo. That's why he's not here, because he's gone to find him. Since he is who he is, and since Bester isn't a telekinetic like me, he's the one person who can get him and not be affected by Bester's abilities."

"So, if he catches him, will you throw him out of the nearest airlock or will you let me do it," asked Garibaldi coldly.

Hollifield shrugged, "You're not the only person he's wronged, Michael. No, we'll have a trial for him on Earth, because we have to let the process work out on its own. Lord knows we've got more than enough evidence to convict him a zillion times over. I'll be sure that the right judge gets appointed to the case, and when the sentencing comes down, I'll be sure that it's the death penalty. And, rest assured,  
you'll be the one who presses the button when the time comes."

Garibaldi nodded and said, "Thank you, Mr. President.," and walked off.

**Presidential Suite **

**Babylon 5 **

**10pm**

Hollifield had Hudson snuck up to his quarters again, and they had dinner together, followed by some making out on the couch and them making love in bed. They were cuddled side-by-side in the bed, beginning to fall asleep.

Hudson asked him before he closed his eyes and went to sleep, "Garrison, why aren't you going to be on my ship?"

"Because Ivanova tells me that people are whispering about us, and we're not ready to go public with this yet. And I want to be sure that if a certain someone were to manage to sneak on board the _Hercules_, there is someone there to deal with him."

She nodded then kissed him on his shoulder, "Ok. Just needed to hear it from you to be sure."

Hollifield stroked her hair and kissed her on the lips again, then said, "If I had my way, my dear, I would be on that bridge beside you and die by your side if fate were against us."

A tear came to her eye, and she kissed him hard. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered into her ear, "I love you!"

She replied, "I love you too!"

They began to make love again, but then the comm system indicated a message was coming in for him. He sighed and told her, "Duty calls"  
with a lot of regret in his voice. He got up off the bed and spoke to the comm system computer, "Computer, receive message, audio only."

"Sir, this is Ivanova. We just picked up a distress call from a station called Deep Space Nine. They are under attack from a force called the Jem'Hadar. Picard and Sisko said we should scramble and head out now."

Hollifield looked over at his lover, and saw she was already scrambling into her uniform. He turned back to the system and said, "We'll be right there!"

**Deep Space 9 **

**August 11, 2377 **

**12 noon**

It was sheer luck that a fleet of Federation Starships was gathered at Deep Space Nine when the attack came, along with two squadrons Klingon Birds of Prey. Federation Ambassador Worf was in Ops on the station, speaking with Lieutenant Commander Fuziyaki when the wormhole opened and the first Dominion ships came through. They turned towards the station and began to fire!

Worf smiled, not knowing why his former crewmates and friends were at presently, but thinking that the Jem'Hadar were responsible somehow. "And so it begins...," he murmured as he took command of the station to help in the fight. "BATTLE STATIONS," he yelled out, and the crew responded.

Chancellor Martog and Emperor Kah'less came out of the elevator and walked briskly to Worf's side, "What is it, Worf?"

Worf told them of the situation and Martog nodded his head, saying simply, "Then today is a good day to die, and we will be sure that it is a very bad day for the Jem'Hadar!"


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

**The Return of Stolen Property **

**  
**

**On board the USS _Hercules_**

**Space between Deep Space 9 and Bajor **

**August 11, 2377 **

**1:45pm**

Captain Will Riker was shocked to see the sheer amount of ships that were facing him and the fleet as they came out of the wormhole. Scores of Jem'Hadar ships were launching wave after wave of attacks against the station, as well as the plethora of ships stationed there. Riker counted it a stroke of luck that so many Federation ships, as well as Klingon ships, were available for the fight.

The reason became apparent to him as the commanding officer of the USS _Voyager_, Captain Chakotay, hailed his ship. "Greetings, Captain. We were just about to head out to look for you when trouble arrived. Glad you came back in time for the party!"

Riker asked, "How are you holding out?"

Chakotay replied, "We're just barely holding on. Luckily the Klingons are here to help or we'd have been swamped. Who're your friends?"

"I'll explain later, when this is all over with."

Chakotay laughed and said, "That is if we get through this! Chakotay out!"

Riker ordered the _Defiant_-class ships attached to Hercules to separate from the mother ship and begin their attacks. Riker was scanning over a tactical display when a message came to him from his old friend Worf, aboard the Klingon Bird of Prey, _G'rok'nor_. "Captain, it is good to see you again, and I must commend you for bringing those swift ships that look like fish." It too a moment to realize he was talking about the Whitestars, and Riker replied, "They're called Whitestars, and, yes, they are tough little ships. How are things going on your end of the battle?"

Worf smiled a bit, and Riker knew then things were going well in the battle close to the station. "Thanks to the...Whitestars...we are sending those Jem'Hadar devils to a defeat that will be sung in the annals of history! But, I'm worried about the battle nearest Bajor. From what I can tell, that seems to be their main focus of the attack."

Riker stood up and turned to President Hollifield, "Mr. President, what help can you bring towards Bajor?"

Hollifield had been given a station to co-ordinate the Earthforce ships, as well as _Yamato_, during the fight. He looked over his shoulder and replied, "_Yamato_ is holding them off from attacking Bajor directly, but how long they can hold out, I'm not sure. _Excalibur_ and _Freedom_ are trying to outflank the Jem'Hadar advance, but it's been rough going. We've already lost ten percent of our fighters, as well as six Whitestars already. If we don't draw off their forces from Bajor soon enough, they'll be in range to open fire on the surface."

Riker's face grew with concern, "So you don't think this is an invasion force?"

Hollifield nodded his head, "Looks like a classic 'softening up' attack to me. Their real force may be on its way, for all we know, so the sooner we can knock these ships out, the sooner we can be ready for any force they may have in store for us."

Riker's tactical officer, Lieutenant Commander Emerson, turned around and yelled out at the captain, "Sir, they're outflanking the _Yamato_!  
Estimate they'll be in range of the surface in one minute!"

**On board the EDS _Yamato_**

**1:25pm**

_Yamato_ was taking all that the Jem'Hadar was throwing at them, and giving it right back and more. Jem'Hadar ship after Jem'Hadar ship were being wiped out by _Yamato_'s main guns, as well as missiles. Her fighters, the Black Tigers squadron and Cosmic Zero squadron, were also laying waste to the enemy. However, their efforts were only a bulwark, and Derek Wildstar could see with his eyes that they were about to be outflanked.

Eager confirmed this moments later, "Jem'Hadar ships taking course 270 towards the planet below. Intercept course will have them within firing range of the surface in 45 seconds!"

Wildstar was about to order the ship to turn around and take on those ships, when Nova suddenly cried out, "Captain! Massive disruptive field to starboard! It's coming from just in front of the Jem'Hadar advance!"

"Put it on screen," Wildstar ordered, and she did so, and he could see that between the Jem'Hadar and the planet Bajor was an undulating wave of energy, glowing white. "Any idea what it is, Sandor?"

Sandor frantically scanned over his equipment, searching for an answer. He gave Wildstar the best one he could come up with, "I'm not sure, Wildstar, but there is a lot of temporal disruption coming from it,similar to that of the rift in Sector 14. Wait! There's something coming through it!"

Wildstar looked back up at the screen, and couldn't believe his eyes at what he saw.

**On board Whitestar 3 **

**1:28pm**

Sheridan was commanding the ship, and Garibaldi was serving as tactical officer because the usual one, Renfel, was injured from an impact due to the ship being hit by Jem'Hadar disruptors. The Vorlon Defense System that helped deflect the energy of the impacts was working overtime, and it looked to Sheridan as if it was on the verge of failure. He commanded his section of the fleet to head towards the outflanking maneuver that the Jem'Hadar were executing on the _Yamato_, hoping that it wouldn't be too late. It was then he saw the disruption hundreds of miles above the surface of Bajor.

It was Garibaldi who was the first to speak, "Well, I'll be damned! That's what he was up to, and why he couldn't come with us!"

The temporal disruption ceased, and the massive hulk of Babylon 4 appeared, along with a plethora of golden ships that looked like fierce fighters. They turned and headed for the Jem'Hadar ships, and began to send their energy beams towards them. Ship after ship began to explode as the golden ships began to surround the enemy. Sheridan could tell what was about to happen, and, predictably, he saw the defense grid on Babylon 4 start opening up on the enemy, noting that these were much different weapons than were originally installed by Earthforce ages ago. A Jem'Hadar fighter managed to break free and make a run on the station,but it's strafing fire on the hull was brushed off by the station's own Vorlon Defense System. Seconds later, the intruding ship was destroyed by a beam from the station's back end, near the solar collection panels.

Moments later, the last of the Jem'Hadar all made one last suicide run at the station, but _Yamato_ had come along side of it and added her firepower to that of the station's, and it wasn't long until there were no more attacking Jem'Hadar ships.

Sheridan sat back down in his command chair, slumping into it. His energy was almost drained, and he really felt his age at this moment.But he thought he had enough energy left to do more on this day, and he turned to Garibaldi and told him exactly what he wanted, "Garibaldi, prep a shuttle. We're going over."

**On board Babylon 4 **

**1:45pm**

Odo was in Command and Control, alongside Sisko and Valen, watching as the ships who had spurned the attacking Jem'Hadar began the process of recovering from battle. He noted a few ships heading towards the station, as well as a couple heading up from the surface of the planet.

Valen nodded and spoke in the Minbari religious dialect, "Prepare the docking bay to receive guests. Direct them to Reception Area Nine. We shall meet them there." The religious acolyte nodded and began to work the console to comply with the order.

Sisko carried Odo's bucket down with him as he walked with Valen. Odo was still suffering from his injuries, and he wanted to avoid having to take solid form for as long as possible until he felt that he was recovered enough. "I'm sorry about the accommodations, Odo, but all I could find was this old Earth mop bucket to fit you in."

Odo said, in a weak voice, "It's quite all right, Captain. Just being alive is good enough for me right now."

Catherine Sakai met them at the reception area, along with one other. Valen smiled as he saw his old friend in his Ranger uniform. It would take some explaining to a certain someone why he was here.

The other person looked down at his console and spoke, "The ships have just docked and they should be here any moment. You sure you want me here, Entil'za?"

Valen nodded and said, "Yes, Marcus. It's better to get this over with."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

**Mysteries to be Revealed and Crimes to be Avenged **

**  
**

**On board Babylon 4 **

**August 11, 2377**

** 4:15pm**

"Muh...Muh...Muh...Marcus," said Captain Susan Ivanova before she fainted and slumped down onto the deck of Babylon 4. John Sheridan, Delenn, Michael Garibaldi, Garrison Hollifield, and Dan Tanner were all staring at their deceased friend who, very suddenly, was very much alive.

In his typical British accent and style, although he himself had never been on Earth, Marcus Cole said, "I know this is going to sound strange, but there is a perfectly good reason as to why I am alive."

**Flash Forward **

**Franklin Xenobiological Research and Medical Center **

**Tuzinor, Minbar, Interstellar Alliance **

**July 22, 2881 **

**12:45pm**

Marcus woke up, blinked his eyes, and pondered exactly why he was alive. Last thing he remembered was standing beside the deathbed of his love, Susan Ivanova, and using the alien device that Dr. Stephen Franklin had found years earlier, he was passing all of his remaining energy into her. Just as he was losing consciousness, he heard her cry out,"Marcus," but he heard no more as he allowed death to swallow him whole.

Or so he thought.

"Ah, you're awake! We weren't expecting you to be alert this soon since we brought you back to life, but since you are awake now, we'd better get started.," said the Thai woman with an Australian accent, clearly a doctor. She pressed a button on a nearby console, and a variety of people began to show up outside his room.

"Why am I here? Why am I alive," asked Marcus, clearly shocked at this current state of events.

The Thai doctor first introduced herself as Dr. Thelma Hull, joking that "if you had to pronounce my Thai name, your tongue would probably snap off!" She then looked him in the eyes and said, "You never officially died, Ranger Cole. Dr. Stephen Franklin had you placed into cryogenic containment in the hopes of reviving you someday."

"Let me guess, a thousand years into the future?"

"Nope, you overshot by less than half a millennium. You're in the year 2881."

"Excuse me, doctor, but did you just say...Twenty-eight-eighty-one?"

Dr. Hull nodded and said, "Welcome to the twenty-ninth century, Marcus.  
The more things change, the more they stay the same!"

It was several weeks before Marcus was allowed out of his hospital suite, having gone through an intense process of catching him up to speed as to what had been going on in the galaxy while he was in suspended animation. Marcus visited the gravesites of Ivanova, Delenn,  
and the main memorial of the Rangers, of which he was one of the first Human members over six hundred years ago.

Dr. Fabian Bartez worked with him intensely to get him back into proper shape, both physically and mentally. It was necessary to prepare him for the information he was about to receive. "Sad to say, but Earth had a pretty bloody civil war about a century ago, and things have gone back to a medieval time. We've got Rangers on the ground there, but we have to be careful, because most of the survivors were those in rural areas, and they have turned their back on technology."

Marcus was shocked to see that Delenn and Ivanova had established an account in his name, in case he ever was awakened from his state. Marcus had planned to just go back into the Rangers Academy and get re-certified, and perhaps teach, but with his newfound wealth, he decided on a different course.

Draal, the Minbari who had taken control of the Great Machine, looked skeptically at Marcus after he had been informed about what the long-asleep Ranger had planned. "There's no guarantee that you'll even go back to the right time to find her."

Marcus was growing impatient, and practically begged him to allow his ship to pass through the rift. "Please, Drall. I have to at least try to find her."

Draal acquiesced and Marcus went through the rift, and eventually found the woman he loved, but in a roundabout way.

**On board Babylon 4 **

**August 11, 2377 **

**5:45pm**

Ivanova still could not believe her eyes and ears as she stood to the side of Marcus as he told his story. "And I came back as Valen was returning to Babylon 4 to live out his final years. It was here that we met the Legendora, and how we became involved with all of this."

Garibaldi asked his old friend, "How did you survive the time jump forward to our time? The first time you and I went into that rift was when B4 reappeared four years after it vanished, and we had to evacuate its crew. You later told Delenn and Ivanova that you'd die if you jumped forward again. So what's up?"

Valen, who, as the Human Jeffery Sinclair, was Garibaldi's best friend, looked at him and explained, "It was the Legendora who repaired the damage of the first time jump. They were the ones who helped me, along with Zathras, Catherine, and Marcus to come forward and across into another dimension. We had seen the attack coming through the Legendora's technology, and we knew we had to act. You can thank the Legendora for the new ships and new defense grid. Nice little battlewagon we have here, eh?"

"I'll say! This makes Babylon 5 look naked," joked Hollifield, who walked up and embraced his old friend.

Sheridan turned to Valen and asked, "So do the Legendora know what's coming next?"

"To a degree. It's not exact, you understand, but they are able to see converging lines of time where history turns, like a nexus. They're studying the data and they'll let us know what we need to do. I've known them for quite a while now, and have come to believe in their cause."

Sisko walked into the room, saying, "I'm sorry for the interruption, but we have a problem."

**Infirmary **

**On board Babylon 4**

Dr. Julian Bashir was scanning Odo over and over again, and still perplexed by the results. Odo clearly showed signs of exposure to the vacuum of space, but how he was alive was beyond him. Dr. Stephen Franklin was with him, and the two doctors had forged a strong working relationship in the short time they had known each other. They fed the results into Bashir's medical tricorder, which was linked to Babylon 4's computer to help in the diagnosis.

Franklin was the first to break the silence. "Well, he'll live, that's safe to say, and he's in relatively good condition, according to your data. Just some exhaustion and stress from the exposure. Him being a shape shifter probably helped in that, as a normal humanoid body would have been effected much quicker than he was."

Bashir nodded and went over to Odo, "Do you remember much of what happened to you, Odo?"

Odo, who had managed to have the strength to assume humanoid form, looked at him and said, "What I remember was watching the beams shoot down into the planet's surface, and feeling the heat and the rumble in the ground. One of my kind came up to me on the island and asked me what was happening, but before I could come up with anything, I saw a beam hit nearby and saw the blast wave heading towards us. Next thing I remember was being on board a ship with Sisko and Valen."

Kira Nurys stood beside Odo as he explained all of this. She looked at him and asked him gently, "So all of your kind are dead?"

Odo nodded his head, not saying a word. Stephen Ashcroft ran into the room and produced a data crystal, explaining, "This is the data we got from a probe we had in that general area. Dan Tanner helped me to download it to this crystal and we have a visual of the ships attacking the planet."

The data screen produced an image of the planet straight ahead, but the view shifted to a swarm of Jem'Hadar ships heading to the planet.  
Straight behind them was an object so massive that it dwarfed the Founders' homeworld. Franklin immediately recognized it, "That's a planet killer, all right. Different, somehow, but the same class as the Shadow kind the Drakh almost used on our Earth and against Minbar."

Ashcroft nodded and said, "Similar but different, yes. We compared them to the readings we got from the _Wildstar_'s encounter with the one that was headed towards Minbar, and Captain Gideon on the Excalibur sent over the information from the first attack that was launched against Earth." He punched up some data on the console, and the three planet killers were shown side by side. "Note the differences. My guess is that the one that attacked Odo's homeworld wasn't of Shadow design. If I had to guess, the Ragendora are behind this."

**Valen's office **

**On board Babylon 4 **

**9pm**

"So, what do we do now," asked Hollifield. Valen looked at his old friend, remembering the year and a half they spent on Minbar acting in their roles as ambassador and deputy ambassador, respectively, while helping the Minbari reawaken the Rangers from the slumber the order had been under since the last Shadow war of a millennium ago. He said to him, "We must get all our ships to Iscandar and let the Legendora retrofit their technology onto them so that we can be better prepared to battle the Ragendora when they make their presence known to us. This is just their first move in this game, and we simply don't know what to expect next."

Hollifield looked around the room at those assembled and added, "I've recalled all the ships on standby in Babylon 5 orbit and they are making their way here as we speak. I'll be boarding the _Freedom_ and heading back with the _Wildstar_ and _Yamato_ shortly. Hopefully the plan for the station will work, because we need those modifications if the Ragendora plan to attack it."

Derek Wildstar nodded, adding, "We'll do what we can to help. O'Brien, Dax, and Bashir will accompany us on the _Yamato_. Hopefully we can be there as soon as possible."

Sheridan interjected his thoughts, "Loughley isn't going to like this, and neither is Earthdome. Hope you have a good explanation for them,  
Garrison."

Garrison looked at Sheridan and said, "Don't worry, I'll think of something."

Valen rose from his desk and addressed all those gathered in his office, noticing that he should have moved this meeting to the conference room, but realizing it was a bit too late for that. "I think we are ready to move. We'll prepare ourselves for the launch in two days' time. Since Genon will be going with you, he'll be able to help you get Babylon 5 jumped into the right place and time."

Delenn said, "I've always believed that faith manages, but I must admit that I cannot grasp how it can manage all of this."

Valen walked up to his old friend from his Human days, took her in his arms, and smiled down to her, saying, "All things are possible, Delenn. You just have to be willing to dare greatly to make them happen."

**On board the Freedom **

**11:45pm**

Hollifield and Captain Twanissa Hudson were in her quarters, eating a very late dinner, when the message arrived. It was Sheridan, "We're ready to proceed whenever you are, Captain, Mr. President."

Hudson looked at Hollifield, who said, "Good, Captain Hudson will have the _Freedom_ head out as soon as you're ready. We were just getting ready to head to the bridge after we finished eating."

Sheridan nodded, "Yeah, I think we'd better get all the food and rest we can over the next forty-eight hours, because when we jump with Babylon 5, anything is gonna be possible, and we'd better be ready for it. Sheridan out"

The display went blank, and Hudson turned to Hollifield, saying, "I want you to know that, no matter how this turns out...I love you, Garrison."

Hollifield hugged her and rested his hand on the back of her head, looking into her eyes, "I love you too, Twanissa. If we get through this alive, we'll see how far we can go with this!" He leaned down and kissed her passionately, only breaking apart reluctantly moments later when the two of them knew they had to be on the bridge. There was a time and a place for everything, and their love would have to wait until matters were settled. When that would happen is anybody's guess.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

**Return to Iscandar**

**The Sanctuary on Babylon 5 **

**February 22, 2271 **

**10am**

Captain Derek Wildstar of the EDS _Yamato_ was nervous, but on the outside, he didn't show it. He knew how to hide it well, especially when things were at their worst. When the Comet Empire had plowed through the entire EDS fleet at Saturn, he had to rally the crew for one final assault on the massive comet and its fleet. He remembered the nervousness at disobeying the order to stand down after Earth had surrendered, but he hid it well as he told them that they would disobey the order and fight one last battle against them.

It was a success, ultimately, but the cost was high. Wildstar remembered some of the names of those lost in that battle: Charles Orion, the original chief engineer; Peter Conroy, the original leader of the Black Tigers; Jefferson Davis Hardy, Conroy's second; Sergeant Webb Knox, who sacrificed himself to blow up the Comet Empire's main power core and give Sandor enough time to escape back to the ship.

So many dead, and it seemed like life wouldn't let up enough for him to enjoy it. He fell in love with Nova Forrester on the voyage out to Iscandar to get the Cosmo-DNA to help save Earth. Their love grew as they endured the war with the Comet Empire, and they got engaged after the defeat of the Dark Nebulan Empire. He wanted to desperately lay down his burden, marry Nova, have kids, and grow old with her, but it seemed fate was against his goal of lifelong happiness with the woman he loved. Three wars in short succession, and now this. He had no idea where any of this would lead, or if he would ever get back home. That home being his Earth, not the one of this universe.

Mark Venture walked into the Sanctuary, and stared out at the stars like Derek was doing. "Resupply was successful, Wildstar. We're ready to head to Iscandar later tonight."

Wildstar nodded and said, "It's always another mission, isn't it Venture? After all we've been through, you would think that we deserve a break, but God or the universe or whoever is in control of things doesn't seem interested in what we think. So we get back on board and head off to be retrofitted with whatever weaponry that the Legendora have come up with, then go hunting for the Ragendora? Great, and when will this war end? They can cross universes and timelines. Hell, according to the Legendora, they can appear at any time in the past, present, or future! How can we beat them, Venture?"

Venture, taken aback at first by his commanding officer and friend's frustration, managed to rally himself and the captain, "We are creatures of fate, Derek. The whole Star Force is, from the time we stepped on board _Yamato_ for the first time to whenever and wherever this journey ends. We're linked to destiny, and where that lies, I don't know. All I know is that as long as that ship of ours is flying, we have a chance."

Wildstar turned and faced his friend, extending his hand and then hugging him. "I never expected something spiritual like that from you old friend, but it sure lifted me up. What say we head on back?"

Venture smiled and started out with Wildstar, but the entrance was blocked by an all too familiar figure.

"Hello, Mark. Can I talk to Derek alone for a bit," said Alex Wildstar.

Venture nodded, not saying a word, and departed. He knew that things were awkward between Derek and Alex, but he had no idea how bad it was.

Alex looked at his brother and said, "Hello, brother. Can I ask you why you've been avoiding me?"

Derek turned back to face the window and looked out at the stars again. After a moment, he responded, "Can I ask you why you are alive?"

Alex walked up beside him, "You asked me that before, on Iscandar..."

"This is different, Alex! I know the story: they were going to take the General Singleton out and execute him after he refuse to tell the Dark Nebulans where _Yamato_ was."

**Flashback  
Megalopolis, Earth **

**December 25, 2202 **

**12pm**

Alex Wildstar sat in his cell, awaiting death. He heard the footsteps of the Dark Nebulan soldiers coming to take him outside and execute him. The door to the cell opened and one of the soldiers said, "Get up,Earthman! It's your time!" Alex simply said, "I know." and walked out with them.

At the same time, Occupation Commander Kazan Da Prosht strode into the main meeting room of the Earth Defense Command, walked to the head of the table, and addressed the beaten Earth military officials.

"May the Dark Lady favor our endeavors. Gentlemen, I'll be brief. As the supreme authority on this planet, I command you, the former leaders of Earth, to order the immediate end to any resistance to our occupation forces. As occupation commander in this theater, I do now order a cessation of hostilities, and formally declare Her Ladyship's dominion over the planet Earth."

President Sakihawa said out loud, "That's preposterous! We need a few days to discuss..."

Da Prosht slammed the door on him verbally, "SILENCE! There is nothing to discuss! The Human race exists solely at my sufferance."

He turned to the video screen, which displayed the massive ship that came down and screwed itself into the ground just outside of Megalopolis. The top of the glowed ruby red, and Da Prosht explained why soon enough.

"Observe! This is the double nucleus bomb, which we have placed just outside your city. This weapon is powered by desarium, a hyper element native to our mother planet. It produces hyperion radiation, which passes through most materials harmlessly. But its effect on nerve and brain tissue is devastating!

"Any further resistance on your part will result in the immediate extinction of all Human life on Earth."

General Charles Singleton asked, "So that's what happened to Titan and Ganymede and..."

Da Prosht interrupted again, "Yes, a beam of hyperion radiation was directed at each of your space installations as the double nucleus bomb passed. Their inhabitants died painlessly, I assure you!"

Prosht then clenched his fist and slowly waved it in front of the assembled and genuflected Earthers, "But it will not go so well for the millions here on Earth if you do not cooperate! That bomb will instantly destroy the brain and nervous tissue of every Human being on Earth if I detonate it! And I will detonate it, if you do not instantly obey my orders! And my first order is...

"Tell me the location of Space Battleship _Yamato_!"

Singleton shot out of his chair like a rocket and yelled out, "NEVER! Trigger that damned bomb if you want! You'll never learn where _Yamato_ is!

"I'm the only person in the world who knows the whereabouts of that ship, and if you kill me, I'll take that knowledge to my grave with a smile!

"You're afraid, Kazan---afraid of _Yamato_! One ancient battleship against your entire fleet---and yet you're afraid!"

Kazan signaled for the guards to take him out, but Singleton continued, "And you should be afraid! Because that ship carries more than just missiles and guns! She carries the hope and strength of the entire Human race, soaked into its steel herself! Rest assured, Kazan---no matter what you do---kill us all, burn the place---that hope and strength will rise up and destroy you all!"

Da Prosht went ballistic, "You are mad! All of you! Guards! Drag that animal away and shoot him at once!"

Alex Wildstar was about to head out to be murdered when the officer got a call, "Affirmative! We move this one back and do your prisoner right away. Bring him on down!"

The head of the guards sneered at Alex, "Hey Earthman! Looks like you get a few minutes extra! There's somebody they want dead even more than you!"

Wildstar turned and saw Singleton being marched towards him. He bolted out of the grasp of the guards and headed over to him, whispering, "General! I---I'm carrying a bomb inside! It's already triggered---ten seconds! You've got to get away from here!"

Singleton's eyes went wide and he said, "Alex! For God's sake, what are you doing?"

The guards pulled Alex back and he said, "What I'm meant to do, General! What I was always meant to do!" One of the guards told Alex, "Shut up!Get through that door now!"

Singleton cried out, "No! There's still hope, Alex! There's always hope!"

Alex began to fight the guards, and Singleton said as he turned to flee, "Oh my God!"

Before he died, he yelled out his daughter's name, "Sasha!", before he exploded, taking out the guards and giving Singleton the chance to escape.

Singleton stopped as he headed into the old underground city and looked back, saying out loud, "God bless you, Alex Wildstar! I'll never forget you!" He turned with a tear in his eye and headed into the underground complex.

**Back on Babylon 5 **

**10:15am**

"So she foresaw all of this and installed that bomb inside you? My God! Alex, how did she know?"

"Because the Iscandarans are a direct descendant of the Legendora. If the plague that hit them hadn't occurred, it's very possible that, in a few millennia, they would have become beings of energy, like their ancestors did. Starsha never knew how the plague occurred..."

A voice came from the door, "I know how the plague came to the Iscandarans."

Alex turned around and saw his wife and the Legendoran known as Genon in the doorway, "It's the Ragendora, isn't it? They did it!"

Surprisingly, Drs. Stephen Franklin and Julian Bashir showed up as well. It was Franklin who spoke, "Genon looked over the data of the Drakh plague and confirmed what I had feared: the plague that wiped out the Iscandarans and almost wiped Earth out are one and the same. The only reason Starsha and her late sister Astra survived is that they were not on their homeworld when it hit. The plague wasn't contagious after its initial dispersion into the atmosphere, a detail that was later fixed,according to Genon."

Genon took it over from there, "We've seen them use this tactic before, on a thousand different worlds. Some, we were able to save before much loss of life, but others we arrived too late."

Derek's face lit up, and it seemed a light bulb appeared above his head. He spoke out, "So you gave the Cosmo-DNA to Starsha?"

Genon nodded, "Yes. It was meant to cleanse Iscandar, but we were, alas, too late again. By the time we found them, only Starsha and Astra were left alive. That's when we found out about Earth and Astra set off to deliver her message to you."

Bashir looked around the room, then said, "So all this has been going on since almost the dawn of time? How do we beat these people?"

Genon smiled and said, "Come to Iscandar and find out!"

**On board USS _Wildstar_**

**8:45pm**

Captain Stephen Ashcroft came back onto the bridge after seeing off Captains Picard and Riker back to their ships. He sat down in his command chair and looked at the rift before him, as well as the assembled ships on screen. His executive officer, Commander Katrina Litinova, turned to him and said, "Everything is ready, Captain. All we have to do now is await the command from Hollifield."

Ashcroft nodded and said, "Good. This is truly a journey into the unknown, and I don't know whether we'll come back out again."

"You're thinking of them, aren't you?"

He turned to his exec, and replied, "Yeah. Victoria and Brandon, and Allison as well."

Litinova said, "You never told me about Allison."

Ashcroft nodded and said, "I lost Allison when I commanded the _Melbourne_ at the Battle of Wolf 359. I was all set to hand over command to Will Riker, resign my commission along with Ally, and work on designing starships. Then the Borg came along and took her away from me."

Litinova whispered, "I'm sorry."

Ashcroft nodded, placed his hand on his exec's and said, "I know we've not had the best of starts in our professional relationship, Commander, but I just wanted you to know that I have tremendous respect for you and your abilities. I don't think I've had the chance to tell you how glad I am to have you as my exec."

Litinova smiled, laughed, and said, "Even though we've clashed two dozen times already over how you command this ship and generally being a pain in the ass to you?"

Ashcroft returned the smile and laugh, replying, "Well, I'd rather have someone who stood up for themselves and did it the way you do than to have someone who simply goes along with everything I say. Besides, as far as I'm concerned, you'll be getting your own ship soon enough and I'll have to look for another XO."

Lieutenant Commander Belinda Montgomery looked down at her panel and saw a communication coming in. It was a simple signal, no audio or video. "Sir," she said, "We've gotten the signal from fleet command. It's to proceed."

Ashcroft remembered something that ISA President John Sheridan has said to him: 'God be between you and harm in all the empty places where you must walk.' It was an old Egyptian blessing, and Hollifield had used it as the code phrase to launch the mission.

He looked to his comm officer, Mullenberg, and said, "Take us in, Ensign. Full impulse!"

_Some material adapted from Starblazers comic #11 by Argo Press._


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

**Who Invited These Guys?**

**  
**

**On board USS _Enterprise-E_**

**Inside the Rift **

**Time Unknown**

Captain Jean-Luc Picard was sitting still in his command chair, watching as the time waves passed over his ship on the video screen in front of him. He did not know what time it was, officially. Sure, the computer knew the official stardate, but having to jump from one universe, then back to his own, then back to the other one, and now jumping to a completely unknown one left him baffled. However, he was also very curious about all of this, and his sense of adventure was peaked.

His chief engineer, Commander Geordi LaForge, was monitoring the equipment that the Legendoran Genon had installed for the jumps. "Sir,it looks like we are coming out somewhere. Chronometric particles are steadily declining."

Picard nodded and looked over at his first officer, Commander Harry Kim. He was young, like Will Riker was so long ago when he first came onboard the old Enterprise-D at Farpoint Station oh so many years ago. However,Harry Kim also had priceless experience from his days aboard Voyager,which had been lost in the Delta Quadrant until it arrived seven years after being lost in Earth orbit. He went from ensign to lieutenant commander because of his record on that ship, and it wasn't long until he was commander and an executive officer.

LaForge looked over his console again, and turned towards Picard and said, "Looks like we're here, sir. Wherever here is." Picard stood up, tugged down on his uniform tunic, and commanded, "On screen".

Before them was a planet almost entirely of water, with the exception of a long island cutting across the ocean surface of the planet like stitching on a baseball. Kim saw something on his console, and, after scanning it, he said, "Sir, we're getting a message. It's from Starsha."

Picard stared at the screen, saying, "Put it on screen, commander."

The image of Starsha came up, and Picard was struck by her stunning beauty. It seemed a perfect fit: this planet and its monarch. She began to speak, and Picard had to concentrate due to her soft voice. "We have arrived at Iscandar. The coordinates to locate your ships in orbit are being sent to you on a separate channel. We are also sending you landing instructions for your shuttlecraft, as well as coordinates for our spaceport. We will be meeting in the Royal Palace in four hours."

The message ceased, and Picard turned to his exec, asking, "Where are we supposed to orbit the planet at?"

Kim looked up at Picard and was about to tell him when his tactical officer, Lieutenant Commander Lieu Chang, spoke up. "Sir, unidentified ships at course 180. Directly behind us. "

Picard hailed the _Freedom_ and the image of her Captain, Twanissa Hudson, was on his screen. "Captain, we've picked up something on our scanners..."

"Same here, Captain. We're trying to make contact with them, but with no response. The President's been notified."

Chang spoke up again, "Sir, it's Wildstar from the _Yamato_, hailing us."

Picard turned to Chang and ordered him to add Wildstar to the conversation, and soon his image was beside that of Hudson. "Captain Picard, we believe we might know who these people are, but we're sending out fighters to be sure. I suggest that you continue onto Iscandar and we'll stay here and check this out."

President Garrison Hollifield showed up beside Hudson, and the two had a brief conversation as she brought him up to speed. A minute later, Hollifield said, "Good idea, Wildstar, we'll do it. Just keep contact with us as we head in. _Freedom_, _Enterprise-E_ and _Wildstar_ will slow their approaches and ready themselves to turn around and defend the fleet if necessary."

_Freedom_ and _Yamato_ signed out, and Picard looked back at his screen, which displayed the approaching ships. Kim came up beside him and said, "Sir, I think this could be trouble."

"Let's hope not, because we have more than our fare share of problems as it is, Commander.," replied Picard, with a worried expression on his face.

**On board Yamato **

**Time unknown**

Deslok had been only on _Yamato_ once before, and it was safe to say his intentions were much more peaceful this time. He couldn't help but to be nervous, because of the past. However, he was shocked at the warm welcome he received from the crew. It had been a long journey to get to this moment, because it wasn't that long ago that Deslok was fighting the Earthers for their planet.

His chief aid, Talan, walked beside him as he strode onto the bridge of the _Yamato_. He could feel the eyes looking at him as he walked up to Derek Wildstar. Some of the looks were inquisitive, curious; while others were clearly accusatory and hostile. He knew that not everyone had forgiven him for his attempt to conquer Earth, even though his reasoning for it was to save his own people from the destruction of his own planet.

Wildstar saluted him, and Deslok returned the favor. "Deslok, it is good to see you again, but I wonder why you are here?"

Deslok nodded and replied, "Your government knew you were investigating the rift, and once you didn't come back, they asked us, since our fleet was nearby, to investigate. We came through to see where you were and we've wound up here. So I have no idea why we are here anymore than you do."

Wildstar had a thought, and turned to his communications officer, "Homer, contact Starsha and see if she knows anything about this." Homer complied and, moments later, Starsha's visage was on screen.

Starsha spoke right at the leader of the Gamilons, "Deslok, I didn't expect you here, but I asked the Legendorans to divert you here so I can ask for your help."

Deslok's expression was that of controlled confusion, clearly not knowing about this new ally. "Starsha, why are all these ships here? And who are the Legendora?"

Starsha said simply, "Come to Iscandar and I'll explain everything there. There is much for you to know." The signal ended and the two warriors were left scratching their heads.

Deslok looked at Wildstar, asking him the obvious question, "Wildstar, why is Iscandar here now, when we all know what happened when the Dark Nebulans tried to claim it after they destroyed my own homeworld?"

Wildstar looked at him and said, "I wish I knew, Deslok. This is as much a mystery to me as it is to you!"

**Flashback  
2201**

Deslok had lost his homeworld when the _Yamato_ was forced down onto it's underground surface in his mad attempt to destroy it in the sulfuric acid seas. His world was dying, and Deslok was desperate. His father's plan so long ago to relocate his people to Earth was almost complete, but the Earthers had resurrected an old battleship and somehow defeated most of the Gamilon fleet to get to Iscandar, only to find that the planet had a twin: Gamilon. Deslok's madness included using a massive tractor beam to drag the ship down onto the planet, and the ship landed in the sulfuric sea and was on the way to dissolving. He launched a full-out attack on the ship, thinking that this last, desperate act of the humans would be futile. It was almost a success.

Almost.

_Yamato_ stayed submerged for as long as she could, until she found the right magma vein to use her wave motion gun on. The blast triggered a chain reaction, and the underground surface began to be destroyed by lava and earthquakes. Deslok's people were being quickly wiped out by the lava, and _Yamato_ launched one last attack to take out his headquarters. One perfectly placed shot from the main guns, and the headquarters, which were attached to the underside of the main surface, slowly fell into the rushing lava below.

Somehow, Deslok had escaped with his fleet, and he tried one last time to stop them from getting back to Earth. It was an act of futility, as most of his people were dead. All that were left were those on outlying colonies and aboard his ships. Billions of Gamilons were dead, and he blamed _Yamato_ for it. However, he knew deep down that it was his own doing.

When _Yamato_ warped into their own solar system one last time, they seemed to be home free, but Deslok has secretly tracked them with his ship and came out of warp nearby. He rammed his ship into _Yamato_, and his crew boarded it, releasing a radioactive gas to kill the crew. It seemed at all was lost until someone's bravery came to save the day.

Nova knew what she was about to do was dangerous, but she had no choice. She turned on the Cosmo-DNA as the radioactive gas reached her,overcoming her as the machine began to work. Soon enough, the machine counteracted the effects of the gas, and Deslok's people were driven off. Nova was hurt by being on the machine as it activated, and she almost lost her life from being exposed to the intense energy, but she pulled through and was there to see her homeworld saved from death by the machine.

Deslok, however, was not to be denied his revenge. He came across the Comet Empire as he began to leave the galaxy, and Emperor Zordar quickly made an alliance with him. Despite some political intrigue from Princess Invidia, he managed to get enough of his fleet together in an attempt to stop Wildstar's last attempt to save Earth.

It was almost too perfect: Deslok had managed to warp space mines nearby _Yamato_, surrounding the ship as well as placing a rather large one right in front of the ship's wave motion gun. His own version of it was powering up, and Deslok relished destroying his enemies once and for all. The countdown commenced and when it hit zero, Deslok himself pulled the trigger, and the massive outshot of energy raced out of his ship and towards _Yamato_. It hit the mines and seemingly hit his enemies, but moments later, _Yamato_ appeared nearby his ship and soon rammed itself into his own ship.

They had executed a mini-warp to elude the beam, and once firmly crashed into Deslok's ship, the EDF Marines, as well as many of the crew, boarded the ship.

Deslok wasn't going to escape. He knew it. He waited for Wildstar to show up. He sent his aide Talan to lead the resistance, and Deslok remained alone on the bridge. If he had to go out, he would do so face to face with the man who beat him.

Wildstar had taken a flesh wound on his shoulder just as soon as he entered the ship, and somehow managed to make his way towards the bridge. Before he could confront Deslok, he ducked behind a corner as he saw Talan come back onto the bridge from another doorway.

"Leader Deslok! The engine has exploded and the fire is spreading to the reactor! We must abandon ship," cried Talan.

Deslok said smoothly, "Talan? Abandon ship?"

Talan mistook the intent of what was said, "Oh! I---I mean only temporarily, sir! Until they can put the fire out! We'll transfer to carrier one and you can command from there!"

When Deslok did not move, Talan appealed to him further to abandon ship, "Leader Deslok, you've won! The Star Force is helpless! The battle's over. There's no need to stay. Why won't you go?"

Deslok let out a sigh, then addressed Talan, "Yes...you're right, Talan. Let's go!"

Talan turned to go, saying, "Fine. Let's get out of...oh!"

Deslok turned as well, and he saw Wildstar, pointing his pistol at him.

Wildstar asked him, "Deslok, why are you fighting us now? Before, you had a reason. Gamilon was doomed...you needed a new home. We had to fight you...to protect Earth. But that's in the past...why go on fighting?"

Deslok cried out, "You of all people should understand it! A man who fights for his homeworld fights on, even when there is no hope! Isn't that what you're doing now? Your Earth has surrendered to the Comet Empire, yet the Star Force goes on fighting.

"Yes...that's what I've done. As long as I live, and fight, then Gamilon lives!" But he knew his time was at hand anyway.

Wildstar pleaded with him again, "But the fight between Gamilon and Earth is over! Why are you taking the side of the Comet Empire? They're not fighting for their own home...only for conquest, for power."

The words drove home for Deslok, but it was too late to do anything about it. He took out his pistol and said to Wildstar, "Oh, no. It's too late! Get ready!"

Deslok knew he wasn't going to fire his own pistol, and waited for Wildstar to shoot him. In what should have been his greatest victory, it was ashes to him. His homeworld was lost on his father's folly, and he knew he deserved to die. All he wanted now was for Wildstar to kill him.

But Wildstar's aim languished, and it was then that Deslok saw the growing redness on his shoulder. Wildstar had been wounded, but nevertheless came forth regardless to stop Deslok. Wildstar, to Deslok's amazed eyes, collapsed and fell to the ground.

"DEREK," a female voice cried out, and Nova ran to her fallen love. She saw Deslok, grabbed Wildstar's pistol, and pointed it at him. It was at that moment that revelation his Deslok like a hammer.

Nova turned to her love and cradled his head, whispering into his ear, "Derek...I'm here. It's all right. Don't worry, darling. We're together..."

Derek whispered out, "Oh, Nova...our dear Earth...what's to become of her?"

Deslok's arm fell to his waist, the pistol pointing at the deck. He clicked on the safety and holstered it, then turned and said to the two Humans, "Wildstar, I see now. Something I could never have let myself see. I thought I was different from everyone else...that my love for Gamilon was stronger and more noble than your love for Earth. The universe has always been a lonely place to me...always alone. All I had was my love of Gamilon. I fought long and hard to save Gamilon, thinking anything I did for her was right. Maybe I would do it again...but there has to be a better way of life.

Tears began to form in his eyes for the first time since he was a child. "Yes, I've seen it. The two of you...loving each other...and Earth, too. Love is the first casualty of war. Oh yes...I know. War does not allow us to be our better selves. To fight well, you must be hard...never doubting your leaders, never questioning.

"But some day, war has to end. NOW. Yes, we can make a new start today!" It was then that he thought of a way to help them beat the Comet Empire. "Remember how you defeated me at Gamilon? You sent missiles to our weakest spot...the bottom of the volcanoes. Underneath. Try it on the Comet Empire!" Derek, despite being seriously wounded, looked up at Deslok and gave him a look of understanding. He leaned down to Nova and extended a hand towards her, and she nervously shook it. He said,  
tenderly, soberly, "Goodbye. I hope we meet again." With that, he and his fleet took their leave.

**On Iscandar **

**Time Unknown**

Garibaldi screamed at Wildstar, "You can't let him join us! Not after he almost laid your Earth to waste and took over it for himself and his race!"

Wildstar screamed back, "You don't know him Garibaldi like I do. He's a changed man, and he's here to help us!"

Garibaldi volleyed back, "The hell he is! I don't trust him as far as I could throw his whole fleet!"

Deslok let Wildstar handle his defense, noting the irony of his former enemy now jumping to his defense with such passion. It was in this moment that he knew that he had been right about his change of heart, and how wrong he had been before. He knew he would never be forgiven for the loss of so many Humans and Gamilons during their war, and the near extinction of their two races, but he had vowed on that day to help save life wherever he could, especially that of the Humans. They had given him a new chance at life, and it was a debt he could never repay.

Starsha finally got Garibaldi to calm down enough to explain why she had brought the Gamilons here, and Garibaldi, very reluctantly, took back his objections. The meeting went long into the night, but the consensus was reached that Deslok's forces could stay and join the fight.

Deslok ventured out that night and looked out upon the sea. Of all the people who could never forgive him for what he had done, he seemed to be at the top of the list.

"But one day, you'll be able to forgive yourself." a voice said.

Deslok turned, and it was the Legendoran Genon that stood behind him. He simply nodded and said, "How can I? After all I've done!"

Genon said, "Being in this fight to save us all is a start. You can never bring back those who've been lost, but saving others from being lost can help in your redemption, Deslok. One day, you'll see it and understand."

Tears returned to Deslok's eyes for the first time since that fateful day, "I hope so!"

_Some material adapted from Starblazers comic #1 by Argo Press_


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

**How Iscandar Became The Center of The Side of Light **

**  
**

**Royal Palace **

**Iscandar **

**Time Unknown**

Michael Garibaldi paced around the room like a caged lion. Despite being in space for most of his life, he hated closed in spaces. He thought of himself as somewhat of a claustrophobic, but he was able to handle it. Besides, he had more things to be scared of in his life, especially letting himself get out of control. Starsha had asked him to come to her office after the meeting to explain why she allowed Deslok to bring his forces into the fight. It seemed to be the height of stupidity, but he had been outvoted in the matter.

Starsha walked into the room, and Garibaldi was reminded of Talia, a woman he had an interest in years ago. He shoved down the memory as she made her way around the desk and sat down. She indicated that she wanted him to sit down as well and he obliged her. Garibaldi came straight to the point, "Listen, you may know this guy, but I think it's a bad idea to bring him on our side, especially after he bombed Wildstar's Earth almost into oblivion just so he could take over the joint."

Starsha was unfazed, "Doesn't your world have a saying, 'Desperate men do desperate things'.? His race was dying."

Garibaldi glared back, "Lady, I've been in law enforcement for a hell of a long time, so I know all about that. It's no excuse for what he did."

"I know it's not, Mr. Garibaldi, but at least let me explain why I chose to let him join with us."

Garibaldi ran his hand over his baldhead, then looked at her again and said, "Well, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, so let's get on with it."

**Approaching Gamilon/Iscandar system  
2201 AD**

Deslok and his ragtag fleet approached their homeworld for the last time. He had planned to hold a memorial ceremony for those lost, then see Starsha on Iscandar before heading out in search of a new homeworld. He walked onto the bridge, and the crew acknowledged his presence. "Hail, Leader Deslok," they all said. Talan, his chief aide, came up to him and gave him the latest, "We are now on final approach, sir."

Deslok nodded and replied, "It's been nearly 15 months. This will be the last time to see my great planet Gamilon." And Iscandar, too. _Starsha, I've not forgotten about you. You are the one I miss most._, he thought.

As they made their landing, Deslok saw something was amiss on the surface. Talan saw it at the same time. "What's that," Deslok said to no one in particular. He soon saw what it was. Some alien race had trespassed on his homeworld and has started to mine the planet. Deslok raged, "How dare they desecrate our mother planet! Fleet to battle positions! Form up behind my flagship and open fire!"

General Dada raced to the bridge from his office, and saw that his chief of Gamilon mining operations, Ladra, was on screen. "General Dada! Emergency contact! We have a situation on Gamilon, General. Our fleet has been attacked by an unknown enemy."

Dada was not pleased by this news, and belted out, "What?" Ladra continued, "The battle rages on even now, sir." The general didn't take long to decide on what to do. "Defend yourselves as best you can! Reinforcements are on the way!"

A Dark Nebulan cruiser came over head through one of the openings on the upper crust and headed down to strafe Deslok's ship, but the ship missed hitting his vessel and hit the main mining vessel, causing it to crash into the main refinery and setting off a chain reaction. Deslok bellowed out a desperate order, "Retreat! All ships pull out!"

Within moments, to his horrified eyes, he watched his planet blow up. It was a miracle that he'd managed to pull the fleet out in time, but he fell to his knees at watching his homeworld erupt in a massive fireball.

"Gamilon...our mother planet...is no more...it was fated to be so. But I did not expect such a cruel ending. I didn't know such a day would come!"

It was then that Talan cried out, "My lord, look! It's moving! Iscandar is moving!"

Deslok's fleet tracked the planet. Hours later, they were still trying to contact Starsha and Alex Wildstar. "Still no contact from Iscandar"he asked Talan. "It's coming through now, Leader Deslok. I have them," replied Talan.

Starsha and Alex Wildstar came onto the screen. Starsha began to speak, "Deslok! I didn't know if you were still alive!"

"Very much so, Queen Starsha! You must leave Iscandar while time allows! You and Alex Wildstar are both welcome aboard my ship"

Starsha looked skeptically at him and asked, "Are we?"

Deslok nodded and looked eager, "Believe me, Starsha. I only want to aid you as a friend and neighbor. No more, no less."

Starsha replied, "Thank you, Deslok. I hardly expected such a favor, but I cannot leave my planet."

Deslok was perplexed, "Iscandar is gathering speed. You are nearing a warp curve!"

"I am aware of that, Deslok, but I was born here and have lived here all my life. I share the feeling you had at the end of Gamilon."

Alex then spoke up on her side, "We've decided to stay, Deslok. If you meet my brother again someday, please tell him we lived happily."

Talan cried out, pointing at the planet, "Look! Eruptions!" Deslok replied, "It begins! Iscandar's accelerating! The space curve is turning over! It's warping!"

Talan asked for instruction, and Deslok commanded, "Calculate their warp trajectory and follow them! And inform Earth of the situation.  
Prioritize the message for Derek Wildstar and the Star Force."

They tracked the planet as it came out of warp, near a massive nebula. They reached Starsha and Alex again, and Alex said, "Deslok! He came after us!"

"Starsha! Give me permission to land! I won't allow you to die! You must come aboard my ship!"

Alex turned to Starsha, "He's right. We have to go! But I won't leave without you!" Starsha simply said, "No. Deslok, you must leave at once!"

Deslok was becoming frustrated, "Listen to me, Starsha! I---" A blast to his ship interrupted him.

A crewman cried out, "Enemy fleet approaching!" It was the Dark Nebulans, coming down to attack his fleet and take the planet. Cries came out about the status of the ship: "The launch pad is hit! Second gun turret is hit!" Talan said to his master, "My lord! Half the fleet has already been disabled! We're being surrounded!"

Deslok cried out, "All ships return fire at once and follow me to the surface! We'll make our stand in the sea around Mothertown! Launch the Deslok space mines---put a layer of them between us and the enemy! Do it now!"

The mines hindered the Dark Nebulans little, and soon they were making their way to the surface. Deslok ordered his ships to open fire, and they made their last stand on the world.

The battle was turning against him fast, and he asked, "Still no word from _Yamato_?"

"Not yet, sir," said a crewmember.

Deslok whispered, "They got the signal. They'll come," as Talan yelled out, "The enemy fleet has broken through!" Deslok looked up at them and said, "So...this is the end!"

It was then Talan spotted them, "Wait! Look! _Yamato_! The Star Force has come!"

_Yamato_ was able to force the enemy fleet back into orbit, and the battle continued there until Iscandar warped again. Both fleets frantically tracked and warped to intercept. Another battle ensued, and _Yamato_ was able to wipe the rest out with their wave motion gun shortly before Iscandar warped again.

Hours later, _Yamato_ tracked down Iscandar, which had finally managed to warp into a stable area of space. Sandor stated that he didn't think the planet would warp again, and Homer contacted Starsha and Alex on the surface. They tried to get them to come to Earth, but had no more success than Deslok. It was then that the message was interrupted by a massive warp field. Eager cried, "I've got a signal warpin' in, Wildstar---a big one!"

A massive black space fortress came out of warp, and they received a signal from it, "Greetings, brave people of Earth! You have fought well, but now I claim my prize! Planet Iscandar belongs to the Empire of the Dark Nebula."

Derek responded, "Dark Nebula? It was your fleet that attacked---"

The Dark Nebulan interrupted, "Yes! I intend to utilize its ore, the Iscandarium. Do not attempt to stop me again!"

Talan spoke up, "Leader Deslok, you heard?"

"Every word, Talan! They are the ones who destroyed Gamilon---the Dark Nebula Empire! We will avenge our mother planet! All troops to battle stations!" Deslok sent his ships to attack the massive fortress, but the Dark Nebulans repelled them. "Order all remaining fighters out of the firing line and bring up the Deslok cannon!"

When the cannon was ready to fire, Deslok grabbed the trigger and cried out, "And now, at last, for Gamilon! Fire!"

The massive blast of energy had no effect. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA," maniacally laughed Dada, "How utterly pathetic! You thought you could damage Goruba with such an inferior weapon! Watch, now, as I keep my promise! Equatorial cannons, take aim! Fire!"

A massive blast drove down into the planet, blasting out massive chunks of rock that rained down on Mothertown. Alex and Starsha huddled to avoid the falling debris inside the castle.

Dada announced again, "Farewell to the lovers! Watch closely, people of Earth! Our next shot will end their pain forever!" The cannon began to power up again, and Deslok made his move, "All engines full ahead! Ram their cannon barrel!"

Before they could get off a shot, Deslok's ship lodged itself inside the cannon. Deslok called to _Yamato_, "Wildstar, here me! This is your only chance...I've made Goruba vulnerable. Fire your wave motion gun, now!"

Derek hesitated, and Deslok continued, "Don't you understand, Wildstar? I love Starsha! I do this for her!" With much reluctance, Derek powered up the gun, but before he could fire, Starsha asked him to stop and she sent out a communication, giving the planet to the forces aboard Garuba. She said that Alex and her would leave Iscandar.

Starsha brought forth her infant daughter and handed her to Alex. "Goruba's descending. We should hurry!" Starsha replied as he entered the ship with their daughter, "No matter what happens, we'll always be together. You believe that, don't you? Always?"

"Of course. What's the matter?"

"Take care of her, Alex.," said Starsha, who pressed a button, closing the door and locking it on the ship. "Starsha! Open the door! What are you doing?"

Starsha pressed a button on a nearby console, and the ship launched into space. "Forgive me.," she said, as she made her way down deep into the castle.

The ship was picked up by _Yamato_, and when it docked on board, Derek and Nova raced to meet them. "A-Alex, where's Starsha?"

Alex looked at his brother, and he knew right then what was about to happen as he said, "She...isn't coming. We're on our own now."

That's when the blast wave hit the ship. Starsha triggered a massive bomb deep inside the planet, which took out Goruba. _Yamato_ and Deslok's remaining fleet escaped harm by having pulled away earlier. Deslok cried out, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO," as he saw the planet go up.

**Royal Palace**

** Iscandar**

Garibaldi watched as the video display ended, and his jaw was visibly open. "Well I'll be damned. But how are you here, as well as this planet?"

"In another timeline, the Legendora pulled me out of the timeline as I was setting off the self-destruct sequence. They managed to yank another Iscandar from another and bring it here to serve our purposes. That is why I renamed the capitol Queentown, because it isn't like the one of my time."

Garibaldi paced around the room and there was silence for a while. Finally he said, "I have to admit. I don't understand any of this. But you've convinced me that he's on our side, so I'll drop my objections."

Starsha nodded, "Good. We need unanimity on this, Michael. We have to be united against the Ragendora, because they will try anything to destroy all of us, including creating division."

Garibaldi paused again, "But why are you doing this?"

Starsha sighed, clearly not comfortable telling him the secret that she had found out. "The reason I have joined the fight, and why the others should, is that the Ragendora were the ones responsible for the plague that took my people. They also aided the Shadows in creating the plague that took over your world."

Garibaldi shook his head, clearly stunned at what he was hearing. "You mean, the Shadows didn't create it?"

"Oh they created it, all right, but it was from the same formula that was used against my world. The Shadows were the masters of the Drakh, and, long ago, the Shadows were the servants of the Ragendora!"

"Who knows about this?"

"You, now, along with Alex, Valen, Sakai, Marcus, Sisko, Genon, and Sasha. Franklin and Bashir have discovered a link, from what I understand, but they don't know for sure."

Garibaldi walked over to her desk and sat down in the chair again, clearly upset with all that he'd heard. "But what of the Vorlons?"

Starsha nodded, "According to Genon, the Vorlons were a race nurtured by the Legendora. They were brought about to eventually take over the galaxy, much like your races did when you threw out the Vorlons and the Shadows."

"Will they return?"

Starsha looked at him and said, "I do not know, Michael. I honestly do not know."

_Material used from Starblazers Comics 2-5, The New Voyage Parts 1-4,  
by Argo Press_


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

**The Next Phase **

**  
**

**Royal Palace **

**Queentown, Iscandar**

** Time Unknown**

"We all know the enemy we face, the Ragendora, but what we don't know is who their allies are. Wars are won or lost before they are fought. The preparation, attitude, strategy, and the selection of proper allies. So far, we have done much of this, but we do not know how much the Ragendora have done. So that is what we must find out next: who are the Ragendoran allies," said Delenn.

Genon said, "In the past, they have not looked for allies, but neither have we. Unlike the Shadows and the Vorlons, we have always went right after one another, never taking our war to others. However, I have sensed that they have been changing their strategy. Thus, this is why you all are here."

"How do you know," asked Captain Hudson.

"Our race is telepathic, but only to one another. I cannot read any of your minds. We communicate via telepathy, and can do so at great distances. We also can hear when one of us is in trouble, and be there to aid them even if they are unable to send a conventional signal.

Genon walked around the room, looking at all assembled at the large conference table. "To a degree, we can do this with the Ragendora, but they have been apart from us for so long that the ability has waned with each passing war. So we have been watching them as closely as we can without them noticing, and we have noticed some disturbing things." He pointed to a screen and it came to life.

Each of you has had great enemies in the past. For you, Sheridan, it was the Shadows and the Drakh, as well as members of your own government who were in league with them. To you, Ashcroft, it was the Borg and the Jem'Hadar. And Wildstar, to you, it was the Comet Empire and the Dark Nebulans. We know that the Ragendorans have been transversing universes, trying to find the proper allies to aid them in their quest. We think that they have begun courting these old enemies of yours and are trying to win them over to their side.

Genon looked at Sheridan, "You have had experience with them before, have you not?"

At first, Sheridan looked confused, but then it came to him in an instant, "Thirdspace! So that's who those aliens were?"

Ivanova spoke up, "If that's true, then we're in for a lot of trouble, because all they sent through was a scouting party, and it took everything we had to beat them back enough to allow us to blow up the device with a nuke. Unless these new weapons systems of yours will do some good?"

Genon nodded and smiled, "The weapons we give you are nothing new, however, they make maximum use of the energy in your ships. The particle cannons are vastly superior to anything you have, and we've been able to adapt them to each of your ships. But what is of extreme importance are the shields, because even the ones on Federation and Klingon ships won't be enough against the Ragendora. With ours, you'll be able to stay in the fight much longer, which will be necessary because they also have similar shields."

Chancellor Martog smiled and said, "The Klingon Empire has been involved in many a war, and have gone on to many a glorious victory, but this is unlike anything I have ever seen or heard of before, Genon. I know it disturbs some of you about our warrior traditions and the passion for it that lies in each Klingon's heart, but know this: when the time comes, we will be ready to fight alongside you. What many of you don't know is that most of us tire of war, and want to put it past us and move on to something new. Why is it that we signed the peace accords with the new Romulan government last year? My Federation friends know how bad the Romulans had been depleted from their civil war, and that, had we wanted to, we could have wiped them out for good. Believe me, there were many who wanted vengeance on them, but my allies on the council prevailed, because we knew that our people tired of war. However, we will never let ourselves be caught off guard when war chooses to come to our doorstep, which it seems to have done so here.

My friends, the Klingon Empire stands with you!"

**On board USS Freedom **

**Time Unknown**

Hudson knew that the crew suspected what was going on with her and the president, but, if anything, the coupling had vastly improved morale instead of harming it. Hollifield was a veteran of the Battle of the Line, and his military reputation, along with that which he earned during the Shadow War and the civil war as well, was beyond reproach. Hudson had lost her husband during the climatic battle to free Earth from the fascist Clark regime, but she missed the loss little. He had chosen his side and she hers, and their marriage was a casualty of the civil war.

Brandon Hudson had gone to Earthforce Academy at the same time as Twanissa Marlow, and they met in their freshman year there. In time, they fell in love and married shortly before their graduation. Their parents disapproved, but they came to accept the mating in time.  
Twanissa's parents were friends of President Santiago, and they had hopes for their daughter to go into politics and eventually become president of the Earth Alliance. She never had the stomach for it, so she chose her own passion, the military, as her profession.

When Santiago was assassinated, she was on board the **Alexander**, serving as gunnery officer to Major Edward Ryan. Her husband served on the _Achilles_ in the same position. One of their last meetings came before the martial law declaration that set off the civil war.

"I tell you, Twa, that Clark has hit it on the head about the aliens! I don't trust them! They're conspiring against us, and want to see us as a beaten people."

"Brandon, that's ridiculous! Look at the good work Sheridan's doing on Babylon 5! Granted, it didn't prevent the Narn-Centauri war, but we knew something like that was only a matter of time!"

"You're naive, hunny! Those damned Minbari are out to get us! And I wouldn't be surprised if Sheridan is in league with them!"

It went on and on, and her dreams of a romantic getaway at the New Vegas resort on Mars never got off the ground. He went off with some friends to the resort, while she visited her parents on Earth with her leave. It would be the last time they saw each other again.

When the civil war broke out, she was happy to be on board a ship that was on Sheridan's side. She eventually became Ryan's executive officer when Lieutenant Commander Bill Trainor was killed in the line of duty. Her husband, from what she had heard, had become commanding officer on board one of the new advanced destroyers in Clark's fleet.

Before she boarded the _Freedom_ to head off to her assigned duties, she had a chance to talk to the person who was responsible for killing her husband, Major Susan Ivanova.

"Yes, I remember the Ares being in the battle. Why," asked Ivanova.

"Because my husband was commanding officer on board.," replied Hudson, evenly.

Ivanova's face fell, and she put her hand on her arm as she said, "Captain, I'm so sorry to hear that! I know that you may feel..."

Hudson shook her head, "No, I'm not angry with you, Ivanova. You had a job to do and you did it. He chose his side and I chose mine. I just wanted to say, if you had any guilt about any of that, that I forgive you. I just needed to get that off that chest, because I've been wanting to tell you that for a long time."

"You and him must not have gotten along, huh?"

"Not at the end, sad to say. Like I said, he chose his side and I chose mine."

Ivanova then stunned her, "And now you're choosing the president's side?"

Hudson suspected she knew what was going on, "Yes, I figured you knew."

"Just do me a favor, will ya? Don't break his heart. He's like a brother to me, and I could never forgive you if you did that to him."

Hudson put her hands on Ivanova's shoulders, "On my life, I won't break his heart. I love him too much to do that." They hugged, but soon had to become professional again as others came around the corner.

Now, she was in bed with the president, and they were slowly heading towards slumber together. He was just about to go to sleep when she whispered to him, "I love you!" _I love you too, Twa_, he said in his psychic voice into her mind, and she smiled, kissed him on the chest, and went to sleep herself.

**Z'ha'dum **

**Time Unknown**

Just as the Legendora had pulled Iscandar into a side universe to serve as its base of operations, so too had the Ragendora with the homeworld of the Shadows, Z'ha'dum. The Shadows had left this place, and the Ragendora had found the right time to grab it: just before the telepath Lyta Alexander set off its self-destruct system with her Vorlon-enhanced telepathic abilities.

They had also found the perfect person to control the planet in Anna Sheridan, John Sheridan's second wife, thought lost on the planet. She had been taken by the Shadows and made to serve them. Now, she was fully committed to serving them as the being that controlled the Eye, located at the heart of the machine.

The Ragendoran liaison, Barak, walked into the conference room with the others. Elizar, Razeel, Morden, and Justin had come with him on his ship, and he noted his new allies as he sat in among them.

Gul Dukat smiled as he saw Barak come into the room, "So you are the one who wants to help us attain our vengeance? I hear that you come highly regarded!"

Emperor Zordar and his daughter, Princess Invidia, nodded, with Zordar saying, "They have also been gathering their own allies, have they not?"

Barak smiled an evil grin, and said, "We have been gaining allies as well. May I introduce our newest one?" With a wave, he brought in the latest member of their alliance.

"Shiv'kala," said Morden, smiling his deceptively warm grin.

"Barak has told me what you want to achieve. I am glad to tell you that the Drakh Entire is pleased to tell you that they have agreed to join forces with you."

Barak looked at him and said, "You do this, even after the Shadows betrayed you?"

Shiv'kala smiled and said, "To hell with the Shadows!"


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

**Inside the Heart of Darkness **

**  
**

**Z'ha'dum**

** Time Unknown**

_"I know there's a lot that you don't know. I know there's a lot that you don't understand. I'm here to fix that. Don't you want to know what's it all about? What's it really all about? I can do that. All you have to do is come with me"_

_"Where?"_

_  
"Where else? To Z'ha'dum!"_

Anna Sheridan was inside the Eye, controlling the former home of the Shadows. She looked out at the universe with rage in her heart. Her husband had betrayed her.

_"John, there's nowhere to run. Come back inside, we can work this out. I know this isn't the Anna you knew. What I am is what was made in her, a new personality. She can never come back. But I can love you as well as she did."_

She had failed in her mission to bring him over to their side. She hadn't done, what Justin bizarrely called, "Vader"-ize him, recalling some archaic science fiction movie called "Star Wars" from ancient times. But she found she had one last chance to bring him around. He was trapped on a balcony, and below him was a drop of more than two miles deep into the planet. He kept looking up at the dome, but she knew that the Whitestar he had traveled with her here would be dispensed with by the Eye if it came down to pick him up.

She extended her hand out to him, but he surprised her by jumping off the balcony and down into the abyss below. She ran to the edge of the balcony and looked over, and saw him quickly disappear out of sight. Suddenly, a blazing light appeared, and she looked up to see the Whitestar screaming down towards the dome, crashing through it and heading towards her. She let out a Shadow enhanced scream and was vaporized by the blast from the two nukes aboard the ship.

Or so she thought.

She came to on board a dark ship and looked up at the beings that had rescued her. "Who are you," she asked, knowing that the Shadows considered it the wrong question to ask.

The beings answered anyway, "We are the Ragendora. The Shadows have betrayed you. Will you serve us?"

Anna answered, "If I can have my revenge on my husband, then yes!"

They brought her to another Z'ha'dum and let her assume control of it through the Eye. Her heart leaped as she felt the control of the planet come to her, and the Ragendorans were happy to provide her that which she had long desired.

She had experience with the Eye before, so she noticed the difference that Ragendoran technology had made in helping her see the universe all around her. She was their eyes and ears, they said, and she was important to the coming war.

Barak came to the hub where Anna's Human body resided in, "Anna, I need the latest information that you have gathered."

She extended her skin and an arm shot out of the hub. It produced a data crystal and the arm placed it into Barak's dark gold opened hand. "Thank you, Anna. We Ragedora are in your debt., " said Barak, as he bowed to her. Anna didn't say anything, as she was busy with the various inputs sending her information. Her body was still wearing the dress that Morden had gotten her for her reunion with her husband, but now it was stained and sticky from the gelatinous material that made up the Eye. She didn't care, because her body no longer mattered. Revenge upon her husband, and all he stood for, was her highest priority.

And the Shadows, the ones who had abandoned her, would also feel her wrath. She knew the truth now, and she planned on making the Shadows and their enemies, the Vorlons, pay. She also added all the First Ones to her collections list as well, and what she sought was not currency, but blood.

Within the Eye, she still was able to dream, dream of watching her husband's reaction as Anna cruelly tortured Delenn to death, then doing the same to the man Delenn had stolen from her. The Eye thirsted for that blood as well, and looked forward to the killings.

She knew her husband was alive, saved by that wretched creature Lorien, the first of the First Ones. He had saved his life on the Z'ha'dum of her own universe, and the first thing she did when she arrived here was search him out, only to be bitterly disappointed to find that Lorien wasn't on this Z'ha'dum.

She felt the ships being built in orbit above her. The Jem'Hadar were here, the Comet Empire was here, the Drakh were here, and she was happy. Anything to help defeat the forces of light, which she knew her husband had to be involved with, was her obligation. She was a servant to the Ragendora, and the Ragendora, unlike the Shadows, appreciated her services.

She knew, long ago, she hadn't been like this. She knew of the old Anna Sheridan, but that one was weak and Human. This one, the one she was now, was strong and mighty, and would make all those who had wronged her pay with their blood.

**On board the Comet Empire cityship **

**Time Unknown**

Gul Dukat didn't like the architecture of this place. It wasn't as mighty as he had seen on Cardassia, but he wasn't about to offend his hosts by pointing out their poor sense of aesthetics. He drank deeply of the wine that Emperor Zordar had poured him, relishing its taste, himself a connoisseur of Cardassian wines himself.

"You have served the Ragendora greatly, Dukat. They cannot wait to execute your plan to invade paradise."

Dukat laughed and drank some more wine, then said to Zordar, "I know you want to get back at those pathetic Humans, Zordar. Those bastards on _Yamato_ denied you your rightful prize."

Zordar laughed, "Well, in this, we both get what we want, Dukat. Isn't that glorious?"

Zordar's daughter walked by, looked at the two, and passed. Dukat admired Invidia, and Zordar noticed this. "I think my daughter likes you, Dukat. You two would make a great match, I do believe."

Dukat smiled and said, "If she were Cardassian, she would be a queen among us. Her ruthlessness is so pure that it makes my heart jump."

Zordar smile got even wider and said, "If you wish to pursue her, you have my permission, but Invidia is someone who won't be easy to catch."

Dukat chuckled and said, "Those make the best women, don't you think?"

Zordar laughed loudly, and then poured themselves a new glass of wine, calling out, "A toast...to the destruction of Earth!"

All the assembled lifted their glasses cried out in approval, and then drank the wine.

Zordar went off to discuss matters with Morden and Justin, allowing Invidia to come up to Dukat. "So you have an interest in me, Gul Dukat?"

Dukat wasn't fazed, "Yes, I profess I do. And I know that you have one in me as well. The question now is, what kind of game do you want to play?"

Invidia smiled and said, "If we didn't have bigger matters at hand, I would love to play hard to get for you. But we have much to do, so come by my quarters later tonight and find out just how naughty I really am!" She winked and walked away. Dukat smiled and drank more of the wine,ignoring the scenery.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

**Paradise on the Brink **

**  
**

**Sol System **

**August 19, 2377**

** 4pm**

Starfleet Command had picked up the massive fleet of ships heading towards Earth hours ago, and were readying a defense near Mars. Klingon and Romulan forces were there as well, but Admiral Kathryn Janeway could tell that it would barely be enough. She was on board her old vessel, _Voyager_, now commanded by her former pilot, Tom Paris. His wife, B'Lanna Paris, was still chief engineer, and Janeway felt right at home on the bridge.

However, any thoughts of homecoming were short-lived when she saw what warped out in front of them. "My God, what is that thing?"

The Comet Empire's cityship came into view and began to attack the fleet, along with the various Drakh vessels and the remainder of the Comet Empire fleet. Two Galaxy-class ships, _Phoenix_ and _Nautilus_, headed straight for the massive vessel, only to be destroyed by a swarm of missiles fired from the cityship.

General Dire Ganitz smiled as he saw the vessels impale themselves on his fleet. "These pathetic Starfleet ships don't stand a chance. Earth will be ours soon, at this rate.," he commented from the bridge aboard the cityship to his leader, Emperor Zordar.

"Let us not be overconfident, General. Remember what happened last time we were here, and remember it well. This time, they don't have anyone to come to their aid at the last moment."

Invidia and Gul Dukat were not on board, heading the fleet that was going to attack the Earth that had been denied Zordar. "Those Cardassian renegade ships will come in handy when we take back what was rightfully ours. Once we rid this universe of the pestilence that is Earth, we go back to our own and destroy the other one!" It was then that an explosion rocked them and forced them to tumble to the ground.

"What was that," Zordar roared as he got to his feet as dignified as he could, given the circumstances.

A military flunky scrambled over to a display, and reported, "Sir, three ships have appeared out of nowhere and are attacking us at point blank range! And sir, one of them is the _Yamato_!"

"_Yamato_! Damn them! Prepare the nukes! We'll keep them busy by forcing them to chase down our Earthbound missiles"

The center ring of the massive cityship began to spin, and soon, missile after missile were launched into the general direction of Earth, and away from the main opposing force.

Captain Ashcroft aboard the _Wildstar_ frantically signaled to his counterpart on board the _Freedom_. "Hudson, they've launched nukes towards Earth. Are you in position?"

"Affirmative. Jumping now.," replied Hudson, and _Freedom_, along with _Liberty_ and _Excalibur_, jumped into normal space and set themselves in the path of the nukes.

Major Ivanova, commanding from the _Liberty_, ordered fighters to launch. "Set defense grids to wide angle dispersion fire! Take out those missiles any way we can!"

The three ships began to fire into the oncoming wave of missiles, and bursts of orange light began to sparkle along the rapidly approaching line. Starfuries and Thunderbolts came out of their launch bays and headed out to flank the missiles and take them out there.

The ten Defiant-class ships from _Wildstar_ and _Hercules_ came alongside three dozen Whitestars, and laid waste to the rest of the missiles. To Zordar's disgust, they began to make their way closer to his massive fortress.

"Fire the cannons," he roared, and the ring splitting the city proper from the bottom side of the ship began to revolve again, this time firing massive burst of energy at the oncoming fleet. _Wildstar_ swung around and sent a broadside of phaser fire and a volley of quantum torpedoes towards the ring, and managed to take out several segments of the ring.

Ashcroft linked into the fleet and commanded, "Concentrate your firepower on the ring. Let the Whitestars and the Defiants take out the smaller ships."

Montgomery spotted a signal on her console, and spoke to the captain, "Sir, _Yamato _has arrived and has opened fire on the other side of the ship. They request we send fighters armed with quantum torpedoes to the underside and try and attack the core. He wants to take out the main reactor on that vessel."

"Montgomery, you lead an away team in one runabout and select the crewmembers for the others. Coordinate with the_ Freedom_ and _Liberty_ and have their fighters give you cover fire."

"Yes sir," said Montgomery, who quickly headed to the local transport tube and entered the car, making her way to the shuttlebay.

Zordar saw what they were doing, and tried to get the main shuttle doors on the cityship to close, but a well-coordinated attack by the Whitestars prevented the aperture from closing. "Great work, Whitestars! Now, Dash, prepare to open up with the main guns to give the infiltration squad cover fire!"

Dash Jordan replied, "Aye, sir! Main guns, aim for target 160 by 84. Prepare to fire...fire!"

All five main guns on board the ship opened up simultaneously, and blew a path for the runabouts and fighters to enter the cityship. Black Tigers and Cosmo Zeros joined Starfuries and Thunderbolts as escorts for the infiltrators.

Montgomery studied the plans to the cityship, sent by _Yamato_'s Sandor, and found the core. "Prepare to beam warheads to these coordinates, then arm them once we confirm that they have beamed into the correct places."

Lieutenant Phen Thul nodded his head, saying, "Warheads ready for beam out, sir!"

At Montgomery's command, the transporter beamed the warheads deep inside the interior of the ship. "Confirmed, Lieutenant Commander! We have warheads inside, as well as force field generators in place to protect them!"

Montgomery linked into the force accompanying her, "All ships, break and retreat! Repeat, all ships, break and retreat! Fuse is lit!"

The ships fled out of the inside of the ship, with Starfuries and Thunderbolts flying backwards to keep the Comet Empire's fighters from following them out. Once they were outside of the ship, Montgomery began to set off the warheads. "All ships, get away from the cityship! Best speed!"

The underside of the ship suddenly blew out, sending chunks of rock away from the massive vessel. Many of the Comet Empire's fleet were caught up in the debris raining around them and were wiped out!

"Launch the dreadnaught, Ganitz. We planned for this, and now we'll make them pay!"

The top of the cityship, with it's familiar skyscrapers and other features of massive metropolises, began to crumble. To prevent a premature celebration, Derek Wildstar reminded the fleet of what was up Zordar's sleeve. "He's bringing out his dreadnaught. Prepare to flank around and attack the underside of his ship. He cannot be allowed to bring out the ship's planetary bombardment cannon!"

As the cityship was disintegrating, Wildstar was expecting the dreadnaught to rise above the city, but was caught off guard when Zordar's warship plowed through the middle of the collapsing structure and blew through the ships in front of him, ramming several Whitestars in the process.

"He's making a suicide run towards Earth! Estimated time to intercept is thirty minutes," Nova Forrester called out. Wildstar made a quick calculation, then commanded part of the fleet to swing around both sides of the ship, while his forces would try and overtake the dreadnaught, using the wave motion gun to take out the ship.

Ashcroft was giving out orders for his side's flanking maneuver when Litinova called out from her console, "Captain! Twelve Borg ships coming out of warp! They are on an intercept course with Earth, and will be there within seconds."

"Damn! Is there anything we can do," yelled Ashcroft.

"No sir! By the time we got there, they would have had plenty of chance to fire onto the surface!"

Ashcroft looked at the Borg vessels as they approached the Earth from the other side of where they were conducting the battle. He expected to see them stop in orbit and launch torpedoes at the Earth, but his jaw dropped as he watched them fly by the planet and head for them.

"Sir, they are heading towards the dreadnaught! Orders," asked Litinova.

Before he could give any, he watched in shock as the Borg cubes began to fire upon the dreadnaught. Six of them went underneath Zordar's ship and began to fire at the bombardment cannon being lowered.

Zordar, alarmed by this new development, didn't hesitate on what he did next. "Retract the cannon and prepare to warp. We'll get them another day! Warp!"

The massive ship's cannon was wheeled back inside, and the ship glowed as its warp field was generated. Within seconds, it was gone.

"Tracking systems, find where that ship may have gone," called out Hudson.

Bistilic, her tactical officer on duty, ran the check, then informed her captain, "Captain, computer tracks them as heading towards sector 58 by 122 by 68."

Hudson hailed the fleet, "Hudson here. Any idea about who these guys are?"

Picard came on the line and said, "Stay at general quarters, Captain. These are Borg, and they are a threat to us."

A voice joined into the conversation, "They are no longer a threat, because we have neutralized them."

Picard asked the voice, "Who are you?"

The voice replied, "My name is Elric, and we have much to discuss!"


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

**We are dreamers, shapers, singers, and makers**

**  
**

**On board Borg cube Five of Twelve **

**August 19, 2377 **

**6:15pm**

Captain Picard was understandably nervous as he stood inside the Borg cube. He was with a heavily armed away team, and expected this to be a ruse of some sort. What threw him for a loop was how cool it was inside the cube, remembering the first time he'd been in one and how hot it had been.

"Greetings! My name is Elric. I greet you in the name of the Technomages as a member of the Circle. I hope your transport over here was uneventful.," he said, in a rich, steady voice.

"Well, you picked a fine time to show up," said a voice behind him.

Picard looked behind Elric and saw the visage of Alwyn behind him. Elric turned and said, "It is good to see you again, my old friend."

"About time you showed up. Since others who I know have died have shown up as well, I figured it was only a matter of time until my brethren showed up. Who else is with you?"

Picard interrupted, "I have a more important question: why are you here on this Borg cube?"

"I can answer that."

Elric looked over and saw Galen approaching, with another member of the Circle, Blaylock. Picard looked at Blaylock and almost fainted, because he looked exactly like himself.

"Did I surprise you, mon capitan? I should, because in your universe, I would have been your great grandfather, Lucien Picard. However, in mine, I was picked up by my teacher, Sophocles, when my parents died and became what I am today."

Picard rallied and asked, "You still haven't answered my question."

Galen replied, "Then I shall. The Borg technology is similar to our own. It is derived from Shadow tech, albeit a bit differently. Elric and the others came out of another aperture in Borg space, and were going to be assimilated, but the tech that we have took over their tech..."

Elric interrupted, "...and we freed them."

Picard was shocked, "Freed them?"

A Borg came up to him, and Picard immediately noticed that the implants have been reduced drastically. "Locutus, these people have freed us from the control of the collective. For the first time, we have control and we can decide what we want to do! It's amazing!"

Picard asked, "And you are?"

The female Borg replied, "In my old life, my name was Drusilla, but I was Eight of Eleven here. I think I'll go back to my old name." She looked over and smiled at another technomage coming up behind them.

Isabelle addressed the group, "I have no idea why we are here, but we are here for a reason. When we had the chance to free the Borg from their technology, we did so, and they have repaid us by coming in on our side of the battle."

Elric added, "Alwyn and Galen have told me about the coming fight, and we want to sign on. I've asked the Borg for their assistance, and they've gladly given it. They know they can never replace all the lives that were lost to their aggression as part of the collective, but their joining us will go a long way to their redemption."

Picard couldn't believe what he was hearing, but slowly he began to realize that it was true. All his memories of being Locutus came back to him at that moment, and he realized that he could not hear the collective voice anymore. Instead, he heard the murmurs of a million conversations going on.

He extended a hand to the female Borg, Drusilla, and she shook it. "On behalf of the Federation, we welcome you." It was then that Picard fainted.

**Sickbay **

**On board USS _Enterprise-E_**

**7:45pm**

Elric looked at Picard as he laid on the bed, looking over the readouts from the scanners and using his own internal sensors to get an idea of what was going on.

Dr. Beverly Crusher let out a sigh. "I don't understand it. I thought we'd been able to get out almost all of the Borg implants, but when he touched your hand, they reactivated."

Drusilla looked very sad, clearly worried about Picard's condition. "I don't know what happened either, Doctor. My injection functions were disabled at the time, so it couldn't be that."

Commander Harry Kim nodded, "We know it's not that. Witnesses said that they didn't see you inject him with anything. Also, Dr. Crusher has determined that the amount of Borg technology in his body hasn't increased. However, it has become active."

Crusher added, "If we don't find a way to counteract this, he'll die soon."

Elric turned to Crusher, walked to her, and said, "The solution is simple. He must be injected with the Borg technology again."

Kim was aghast, "Absolutely not! He wouldn't approve of it!"

Elric calmly turned to the exec, "Whether or not he approves is irrelevant. If he is to live, he must become what the Borg originally made him. It will be difficult, but I will supervise the procedure myself. Of course, the doctor is more than welcome to come along and observe."

Crusher looked at Elric, then at Kim, finally saying. "He's right, Harry. Ever since he was abducted and transformed by the Borg before the Battle at Wolf 359, he's not been the same, and I think it has to do with the implants. I can't think of any other way to save him."

Kim walked around the office briefly, putting his hands in his pants pockets. This gave him time to think, and he knew it was a hard decision to make. It didn't take long, though. "Do it."

**On board Borg Cube Five of Twelve **

**8:30pm**

"I saw where you put some of my ashes in the Well of Forever, Galen. I'm so glad you found it."

Galen couldn't believe he was with his love again. They had met during his initiation, and fell in love soon after. However, it was a short affair, as she was taken from him due to the actions of the evil technomages, Elizar and Razeel.

Strangely to Galen, his emotions somehow kept themselves in check. It was if his mind was overloaded, and the time to recover was allowing him to process this strange new reality. He had thought Isabelle lost forever, so to see her again was a miracle.

"So now do you believe in God and His plan, dearest Galen?"

Galen looked at her, leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips, then said, "I'm not sure yet, but I am a lot close to believing than disbelieving now. I just need time to deal with this."

Isabelle nodded, "I understand."

Isabelle's mother, Burrell, walked in on them. "Well, well, here are the two lovebirds! Tell me, Galen, isn't it nice to have us around again?"

Galen smiled and asked, "Where's Johnny?"

Burrell laughed and said, "Thanks for reminding me! I need to create a new holodemon. And I think I'll create another one to mimic that handsome Captain Riker! Talk about a sexy man!"

Elric smiled as he heard that part of the conversation as he passed them in the hallway, making his way to the center of the cube with Drusilla.

"So when do we expect all the cubes to be gathered at the meeting place?"

Drusilla paused for a moment and made a mental calculation, "They'll all be there in four days time. Everything should be ready for the transformation that you want to make to us as well as our cubes."

Elric nodded, "Yes. We need to improve the shielding and weapons systems and redesign the cubes for the upcoming battle. The Legendora are sending over some techs to adapt their technology. It's risky, and might not work."

Drusilla stopped, and Elric did as well. She looked at him, soberly, and said, "The Borg collective took my life once, and, thanks to you and your kind, we've gotten it back, after a fashion. If we can do some good after all we've done, it's worth the risk of losing it all if the processes don't work."

Elric nodded and entered the center. There lay Captain Picard on a makeshift bed, along with Dr. Crusher and Commander Geordi LaForge at his side. "I'm sorry that we haven't the time to make things for comfortable here for you, but time is of the essence."

Crusher nodded and said, "When do we begin?"

Drusilla walked over to Picard and extended her arm to reach out to his forearm. She looked over at Crusher and LaForge, and they both nodded to her. "Go ahead.," whispered Crusher, clearly nervous about what was about to happen. Drusilla closed her eyes, and two black tubes shot out of her wrist and entered into his forearm.

A moment later, she retracted the tubes and walked away. Crusher ran her medical tricorder over him, and commented upon finishing, "He's stabilizing. How long will it take for the transformation to be completed?"

"One hour. Then Elric will need to send in his organelles to help with freeing the remaining implants."

Crusher nodded and walked over to one of the chairs sent over in the hastily assembled room. They sat and watched as Picard began to change into the very thing that he long feared.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

**Locutus Reborn **

**  
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**On board Borg Cube Five of Twelve **

**August 21, 2377 **

**11:30am**

Picard awoke and expected to find himself covered with Borg implants, but when he looked in the mirror that Dr. Crusher had given him, he was amazed at the lack of any implants on his skin.

Alwyn, Galen, Blaylock, and Elric were assembled in the improvised medbay, along with Dr. Crusher. "He seems to have taken to the new implants well.," remarked Dr. Crusher.

"He should, since he'd already had some inside of him. Having freed the technology from it's programming, he'll have the chance to help us bring the other Borg up to where we need them to be."

Picard slowly sat up in bed, looked around, and asked, "Why did you save me? I'd rather die than have these implants inside of me."

Blaylock, the one who looked so similar to Picard, walked up to him and said, "Because you are needed, Jean-Luc. You are needed for this next phase of the war. We did what we had to do to save your life, and we will help you to come to terms with the new tech inside you."

"Tech," Picard asked.

Elric replied, "Long ago, the Ragendora shared their technology with a race called the Shadows, who, in turn shared it with us. They also shared similar technology with the original Borg, who have since passed on. When we were abducted by the Borg and they tried to assimilate us, our programming overrode theirs and gave us the chance we needed to turn them away from the collective."

Galen added, "Several years ago, I learned of a way to free the tech from its original programming that the Shadows provided. Originally, we were supposed to be creatures of destruction, but thanks to the Circle and the Code, we changed into a force of good. It was my discovery that help us finally achieve the break we needed from the darkness programmed within us."

Drusilla entered and also spoke up, "Thanks to them, we have become our own individuals, still linked together, but of our own minds. We have been discussing this since we ran into the technomages, and we have decided to help you in your fight. However, we need someone like you to lead us and to guide us, Picard."

Picard got off the bed and uneasily stood up, finding that his legs would support him. He could hear them, in his mind, and they were sending him a much different message than he'd received in earlier encounters with the Borg. Instead of commands, he received messages urging him to help them. He had a little trouble shutting them off, but he soon learned how to tone them down and put them in the background.

"But what will become of my ship? Who'll command the _Enterprise-E_?"

Days later, he was in Admiral Janeway's office. She had beamed aboard the day after Picard came to, and had others with her to fully examine him. They had concluded that he was fully capable of commanding his ship again, but the top brass were concerned that he might not fully be in control of himself. Janeway hated to be the one to do this, but it had to be done.

"I'm sorry, Jean-Luc, but Starfleet Command needs to be sure that you are fully in command of all your faculties, mental and physical. They don't have that assurance, and they have asked me for your resignation."

Picard nodded and said, "I know. I was expecting this, and dreading it. Crusher and the others had to do what they did to save my life, and I'm grateful to them for that. But to lose the _Enterprise_..."

"Jean-Luc, think of this as an opportunity, not a disappointment. The Borg have just evolved into something new, and they need guidance to become the force of good that they want to be. The technomages can only do so much, but they can do so much more if you join them."

"Elizabeth, we've been friends for years. I was ever so gladdened to see you and _Voyager_ return after you were swept into the Gamma Quadrant years ago. We presumed you lost for good, but when you returned, it boosted morale in Starfleet to unprecedented heights.

"You've dealt with the Borg. You know how they operate. Who's to say that this isn't a trick on their part to turn me against the Federation?"

Janeway replied, "Because they've given us more than enough assurances of their sincerity. We've been aboard their cubes and have more intelligence on them than they could ever imagine. They want us to help them, Jean-Luc, and you can be our liaison with them.

"It's time to put aside your hatred for what the old Borg did to you, and embrace the new Borg. You can have such an influence upon them that will last them for generations."

Picard knew what his answer should be, but he didn't want to give it. However, Janeway was right, and he knew it.

"I'll do it.," he said finally.

About a week later, Picard transferred his belongings over to the cube known as Five of Twelve. The Borg, freed of the collective, were debating what to name their individual cubes, and the debates were fierce and heated at times. Oddly enough, this came as a relief to him as he beamed over from the _Enterprise-E_ for the final time.

Inside the cube, the other Borg had been busy redesigning the place, with the help of the technomages and Starfleet. There was much more to do, he knew, and an ever-growing part of him couldn't wait to get started.

Drusilla came up beside him and asked, "Are you ready, Jean-Luc?"

Picard nodded and walked with her to the control center, the start of the greatest adventure, and challenge, of his life.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

**The Blow that Broke the Anvil **

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**

**In orbit between Mars and Earth **

**April 5, 2203 **

**12 noon**

When they received the distress signal, Derek Wildstar had a feeling that they would be too late, but he had kept it to himself as he scrambled whatever forces he could muster together and had them heading off through the wormhole and into his own universe. When they arrived, they managed to take out Zordar's dreadnaught, but they were unable to reach Earth in time to stop the Ragendoran planet killer from wiping out Earth.

The crew of the _Yamato_ were in tears, as was President Garrison Hollifield, who had been on board discussing matters with Wildstar and his crew when the signal came in. Hollifield leaned over from the station to Wildstar's left and put his hand on his shoulder. "We'll get the bastards who did this, Derek. I swear on my honor, we'll get these bastards."

Wildstar simply nodded and let the tears flow unashamedly, knowing that every member of the crew was also weeping.

"Jordie," cried out Mark Venture before he collapsed onto his console in tears. Wildstar looked over at his friend and could not find the words to comfort him, nor could he find the words to comfort his fiancée, who had lost not only her parents, but her sister and her brother-in-law as well. He ticked off all the relatives that were lost amongst his crew, until he couldn't take it anymore. At that moment, he didn't care if Yamato were destroyed, because at least they could join all those who had been lost.

A couple of hours later, Deslok and his main aide, Talan, had come aboard. The Gamilon fleet was the first of their alliance to respond,  
along with the EDF forces, but they were simply overmatched. Deslok and Wildstar had managed to destroy the dreadnaught, but they soon realized that the Legendorans were using it as a diversion. Their planet killer appeared in Earth orbit, surrounded the planet, and set off its powerful energy beams. They dug deep into the planet, and, despite the best efforts of the _Yamato_ and the Gamilon fleet, they were unable to stop them in time.

Deslok stood up and spoke before the command staff in the conference room. "I ask myself if I could have done more, despite the odds, and I cannot come up with a satisfactory answer. We've lost over half of the Gamilon fleet in vain, and most of the EDF forces have been destroyed."

Hollifield got up and walked around, then said after a few moments, "I think this was their main target after all. They committed just enough forces to make us obligate ourselves at Bajor and the Federation's Earth, and they hit here when we were just recovering from the battle.

Hollifield walked around again in the total silence of the room. He turned and asked a question of no one in particular, "Were there any survivors at all?"

Sandor raised his head up and said simply, "No. We searched for any signal, but no...none at all."

Hollifield nodded and continued, "Then, what do we do now? What Comet Empire ships are left warped out right as we were attacking the planet killer, so we have no idea where they went. The Legendoran forces jumped as well after their device went off, so we have no idea where they are."

Wildstar twisted in his seat and asked him, "What do you suggest, Garrison?"

Hollifield sighed mournfully and said, "We should go back to where the others are and tell them the news. Then we decide what our next step will be."

"What about the dead," Eager said, almost as if on automatic pilot.

"We win this war for them. We can't bring them back, but we can make the Legendora pay for what they've done. It's not enough, I know, but it's the best we can do.," Hollifield said.

**On Deep Space Nine **

**August 29, 2377**

They came out of the wormhole and headed towards the station, where the others were. They linked in and told them the news. The look on General Kira Nurys face when he told her what had happened still resonated in his mind's eye. It was a mixture of disbelief and sheer terror, with a little bit of "that could have been Bajor, and still might be" mixed in.

It was crowded in the station's conference room. Babylon 4 had warped back to where Iscandar was several days before to continue the work the Legendora were putting into it. The plan was, once the overhaul and upgrading of Babylon 4 was completed, it would return so Deep Space Nine could come into the wormhole and have the same treatment done to it.

Captain Ben Sisko was the first to break the silence. "What we need is an idea of where they will strike next! We need intelligence, people, and we have no idea as how to get it."

Sheridan agreed and added, "That's the advantage they have. We have no idea what they have planned, and what they might be looking at as their next potential target. The Legendora are working on it, but the Ragendora have become more adept at hiding their intentions, according to them."

Dan Tanner came into the room and sat beside President Hollifield. He briefly spoke to him, then asked for the floor to say something. "I've been doing my best to track the communications of the Ragendora, and I think I may have found something."

"You have," several people asked all at once.

"I can't break into their coded transmissions yet, but I do have enough evidence to reasonably conclude where their communications are going."

Tanner walked to the data screen and punched up a schematic. "During the battle to save _Yamato_'s Earth, I detected signals coming in and out of the system."

A display of the solar system came up, and showed where Earth was in relation to the rest of the galaxy. "It's in Wildstar's galaxy, right here." He pointed to a spot in another distant part of the galaxy, near the edge of one of the spiral arms.

"I know where that is.," said Sheridan, "It's Z'ha'dum."

"Are you sure? I thought it was destroyed," asked Garibaldi.

"Not the one in that universe, Michael. This may be our first break, but we have to decide if it's worth the risk to launch an all-out attack on that planet.," replied Hollifield.

Wildstar stood up and said, "Let us go, along with Deslok's forces. Send with us any ships you can spare, but we're going there regardless."

The room was abuzz for a few moments, then Sheridan asked Hollifield, "We can commit about half our Whitestars. How many Earthforce ships can we add to the fight?"

"_Liberty, Freedom,_ and _Excalibur_ are here and ready to go, and they should be sufficient for this task. It's all I want to risk right now,  
because I'm unsure of whether or not they plan on hitting our Earth."

Sheridan nodded, "That should do. Captain Ashcroft?"

Ashcroft sighed and said, "_Enterprise-E_ is in spacedock for upgrades, so she's out of the fight for now. However, _Wildstar_ and _Hercules_ are in the fight, as is our newest ship in our class. It has just finished its yearlong shakedown run and is ready for combat. She'll be here day after tomorrow."

Wildstar asked, "Which ship is this?"

Ashcroft smiled and replied, "_Yamato II_."


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

**Different Ship, Same Spirit **

**  
**

**On board USS _Yamato II_, NCC-1979 **

**September 1, 2377 **

**9:30am**

Derek Wildstar had been on the _Wildstar_ as well as the _Hercules_, and both ships were virtually the same. So, in his mind, would be _Yamato II_, and, to a degree, it was. However, he sensed something that this ship had that he could sense in the other two: heart.

Granted, it was a new ship, just off of its shakedown cruise. Its captain, Alberto Suarez, had a long resume of command experience, so it was natural for someone of his stature to get the assignment. However, when Wildstar laid eyes on him the first time, he got a similar feeling that he had with Captain Abraham Avatar.

Suarez was in his late 50s, and his Hispanic heritage shined through on his skin, which was pockmarked, probably by age. He had a gruff feel to him, but someone who instantly commanded respect from those around him.

"So, you command the other _Yamato_ in our little fleet," Suarez said after they both entered the captain's office.

"Yes, I've commanded her for a little while now. She's only been space worthy for less than four years, but she's seen a lot in that time."

"I'm sure she has, Captain Wildstar. This isn't my first ship that I've commanded, but I hope for a much better fate for her than for the last two I've commanded."

"What happened to those ships," inquired Wildstar.

"The _Powell_ was lost at the Battle of Wolf 359. I was one of the few who were beamed out. Believe me, I didn't want to go. I lost the _Bolivar_ in the last major battle of the Dominion War. Our warp core was hit and we had to abandon ship. Granted, those two ships fought to the last, but even they had their limits."

"Do you expect the same from this _Yamato_?"

Suarez smiled and said, "If it's anything like your ship, Wildstar, I expect my streak to come to an end. I've lost too many people over the years, and I was close to retiring when the call came to take command of this ship. One thing I have learned is that this class of ship is built to take a pounding and keep on fighting."

They made out of the office and back onto the bridge. "My crew is ready when you are, Wildstar. Like Hollifield and the others said, it might not have been our Earth, but it was Earth they destroyed, and we are honor bound to defeat the enemy, no matter the cost."

Wildstar choked down a sob and managed to gut out, "I really appreciate it, Captain Suarez."

"Tell that to your whole crew. We'll stand by them until we have defeated the bastards that destroyed your Earth."

One of Suarez's officers called over to the captain. "Sir, we're getting a message from the _Wildstar_."

"Put it on screen.," ordered Suarez.

"Alberto, _mi hombre_. How's the new ship?"

"Just fine, Stephen. She's ready to go whenever the fleet's ready."

"Good. Wildstar, you should get back to the _Yamato_. We've gotten our marching orders. We head out at 0500 hours tomorrow for Wildstar's universe. Whether we come back is between us and God."

Wildstar nodded and said to Suarez, "See you on the other side, Captain."

Suarez returned the nod and watched as Wildstar walked off the bridge and into a tube car. "So, what are the chances we come back from this battle, Stephen?"

"Not the greatest in the universe, but if we can beat these bastards on their turf, it gives us a much better chance at winning the war."

Suarez replied, "If I have to lose this ship, I intend to go down with it."

Ashcroft leaned forward in his seat and said, "I want to make sure neither of us loses our ship, Alberto. We've both seen too much death to want anything less, but we've got to do what we have to do. See you in the morning. Ashcroft out."

**On board EDS _Yamato_**

**September 2, 2377 **

**5am**

Wildstar gave the command and Venture activated the ship's engines. The engines came to life, and soon the great ship was headed towards the wormhole, alongside all the other ships. Klingon ships, led by Worf, had volunteered to come along for the fight, and they surrounded the _Yamato_ as they entered the wormhole.

The fleet waited for the blinding flash to come, and it wasn't long in coming. A moment before the flash, they were inside the wormhole.  
Afterwards, they were exiting the aperture that _Yamato _had first entered weeks ago. There would be no home to go to this time around.

"Wildstar, we have the coordinates for Z'ha'dum. Sending them to the whole fleet.," Nova said. Wildstar nodded and waited for the various replies to come in. When the last confirmation came in, Wildstar opened a communications link to the whole fleet. "This is Wildstar. Prepare to make first jump to the set coordinates. We'll be warping in one minute."

The Federation and Klingon ships turned away and entered warp, while the Minbari, Earth Alliance, and Whitestar ships opened jump points and made their way through hyperspace to the rendezvous point.

Deslok linked in, "Wildstar, we're ready to warp when you are. All ships are ready for battle."

"Good. Warping in thirty seconds. See you there, Deslok."

Deslok nodded and cut the communication. Venture called out the countdown, "10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...Warp!"

The ship seemed to distort in space before vanishing completely. Deslok's ships followed suit, and soon the space in and around the aperture was empty.

Or so it seemed, as a small, dark vessel made its way out from behind the aperture. It soon vanished on a similar trajectory as the fleet, but not before sending off a brief message:

"They have bought the bait. Now we launch our next operation!"

**Z'ha'dum **

**Time Unknown**

Anna Sheridan looked at the input that she was getting from the eye, and, in her mind, she smiled a vicious grin. "So, the fools come to attack us! They will pay for their impudence!"

Two new planet killers orbited the planet, and Anna commanded them to enter the Ragendora aperture. "You know your destinations. Now, attack! And bring down the allies of the Federation!"

The planet killers made their way from the orbit of Z'ha'dum and entered the portal, disappearing as they exited the universe. Anna closed it back up and then used her sensors to prepare the planet's defenses for the coming battle.

"Good, Anna! We will show those fools that we are unbeatable," remarked Princess Invidia.

"I'm surprised at your mood, Your Highness. Knowing that your father was killed by the _Yamato_ and her crew, I thought you would be in an angrier mood.," mused Gul Dukat.

"My father was a mere obstacle to my ascension to power, Dukat. He died his hero's death, and now I command the fleet. This time, though, I won't make the same blunders as he did. He was arrogant, stupid, and so full of himself! Now, with myself about to be installed as Empress, I intend to rebuild the empire and rule this universe. Just like you plan to return to Cardassia and overthrow that fool Garak and the civilian government.," Invidia replied.

"Oh yes! I have a few scores to settle when I get back home. I have special plans for Garak, and I'm sure he'll appreciate them. I wonder if your court would like to take bets on how long it'll take him to die," said Dukat.

Invidia put her arm around Dukat and kissed him. "You know, I've never met a man as ruthless as you. Together, we'll show the universe just who's in charge!"

Dukat smiled and returned the kiss, "Indeed!"


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

**Grab Her and Go!**

**  
**

**On board _USS Yamato II_**

**Near Z'ha'dum **

**April 7, 2203 **

**1pm**

Garrison Hollifield knew that even with the larger fleet than he had expected that their chances were not great for beating the Ragendora and whatever fleet they had at Z'ha'dum. He had decided on a course of action that would give them a fighting chance at least. It was risky, riskier than an all-out attack, but this seemed to him like the best way to beat their enemies.

"Are we ready," he asked Captain Suarez, and Suarez nodded and stayed focused on his display. They came out of warp near the planet, and the other ships began to jump in nearby.

"Sir, enemy ships headed towards us. Directly ahead. Reading 24 Jem'Hadar fighters, seven Cardassian vessels, and other assorted ships," said Lieutenant Sharon Thrace, addressing her captain.

"Take us in, Lieutenant.," replied Suarez, who then turned to Hollifield, "Picking anything up?"

"Yeah, she's there. It's going to be trickier than we expected, but it's still possible. My telepathic abilities were picking her up earlier before we came out of warp, so she evidently must be plugged into a communication center or something."

"It's what I expected. I've learned to hope for the best and expect the worst. Since life sometimes doesn't give you either, I expect something in the median.," Suarez commented, then lurched forward in his chair as his ship took a blast from behind.

Thrace yelled out, "Sir! Ships coming behind us. Computer identifies them as Comet Empire ships!"

"They're not nearly as mobile as the other ships. Let them get closer and when they get to within ten clicks, send a spread of quantum torpedoes their way!"

The fleet kept coming towards the planet, with the _Yamato_ leading the way. The old ship took out the Jem'Hadar with brutal efficiency, and made their way to their assigned point in space and stood their ground.

"Captain, _Yamato_ has reached firing point. Message says they're ready for phase two of the plan!"

"Thank you, Lieutenant. Mr. President, can you give us a fix on her location?"

Hollifield scanned over the console and found the location of where the person they were after was. "I've found her vital signs. See if you can get a lock on and try and beam her out of there!"

Another blast rocked the ship, this time from underneath them. "Who the hell was that?"

"Drakh cruiser just jumped in, sir! Whitestars moving to intercept! We've got lock-on sir! Ready to transport at your command!"

"Do it," commanded Suarez, and Thrace activated the transporter beam.

**Flashback **

**Z'ha'dum **

**December 28, 2260**

Hollifield was on the planet, much to his surprise. Alwyn had happened to be with him when he had received word that Sheridan had taken off to Z'ha'dum with his wife. He knew that his wife had been changed by the Shadows, but he didn't know just how much. If Sheridan were turned against the forces of light, it would be a huge blow against the Rangers.

They managed to get underground, sliding through a membrane of shadow skin near an entrance. "Reading anything, Alwyn," asked Hollifield.

"Nothing substantial yet. I detect other mage energy, but I'm not sure who exactly is here. I'm almost sure Elizar and Razeel are here, but I don't know who else has betrayed us."

Dan Tanner and a Narn named G'Leel were with them. Tanner broke out an odd piece of equipment that he used to scan the area as well. Hollifield didn't know exactly how it worked, only that what Tanner called a "tricorder" could give them vital information. "There's a passageway descending down over to our left. It goes down a gentle slope deep inside the planet, about a mile to a mile and a half."

"Let's get started then.," Hollifield said, breaking out his phased plaser gun, and handing another pistol to G'Leel. "Trust me, you'll probably need this."

The foursome made their way down deep inside the planet, trying to find Sheridan and his wife. Hollifield began to scan carefully around the area with his telepathy, being careful to avoid detection because the Shadows hated telepaths. He knew, though, that their hatred didn't prevent them from plugging the rogue telepaths they had received from Psi Corps into their ships. The evidence had pretty much convinced him that President Clark was definitely in league with the Shadows, because they had to have used him as a go-between to get them from the Corps.

They came out into an open area and saw something that shook them to the bone. "My God, is that what I think it is?"

Alwyn soberly shook his head. "It's like I told you long ago, Garrison. Shadow technology is a real darkness in the galaxy. I knew that the tech that we technomages received upon initiation was from the Shadows, but I never knew that they made it from sucking the life energy out of their hostages."

Tanner tapped Alwyn on the shoulder and pointed up, pulling them all back as he quickly whispered, "Those humanoids in Shadow skin are getting too close. We may need to go back and find another way."

From another entrance, two other people came into the area. Alwyn spread his arms out and pushed the other three slowly back, out of view. "It's Elizar and Razeel. They are nearing that huge vat at the center of the room."

They retreated back up the passageway as they heard Elizar say, "Soon, Galen will come and try to seek his revenge. But the Shadows have plans for him, and I intend for him to fulfill his role!"

Hollifield grabbed Alwyn as he tried to go back down the passageway. "We'll get him before he makes it down here, Alwyn. Right now, we have to find Sheridan and get him out of here."

Alwyn reluctantly nodded and walked with them back up the passagewayThey continued their search for Sheridan, knowing that time was running out."

**On board_ Yamato II_  
**

**April 7, 2203 1:20pm**

Hollifield rushed into the transporter room. "Be ready to take her off that pad and put her onto the gurney quickly! Don't let her have the chance to let her Shadow implants interact with any computer systems!"

The crew had been briefed on the possibility of Anna using her tech inside her to merge with the ship and take it over. They stood by the pad and waited for Thrace to try again with the transporter beam. They had failed the first time, and this was their last chance. The battle was heating up outside, and they had to grab her now or lose their chance for good.

The beam activated and soon a figure materialized on the pad. "It's her! Grab her, quickly," Hollifield said as they dragged her onto the gurney. "Sedate her! Hopefully this will make things easier!" A medical technician placed a hypospray to Anna's neck and injected her with the medication, but it seemed to have no effect. "Activate the force fields on the gurney! We need to get her to sickbay!"

Anna cried out, "The Eye! Where is the Eye?"

The med tech asked, "What does she mean by 'the Eye'?"

Hollifield nodded, "It's a long story."


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

**Once Sweet, Now Bitter **

**  
**

**On board Deep Space Nine **

**September 4, 2377 **

**5am**

Anna Sheridan was sedated on the bed, and Dr. Julian Bashir had already found out the hard way what happens when Anna woke up. Even with the force fields in place, she still was a holy terror to deal with. Despite all the precautions they took, she still had managed to try to merge with the station's computer twice. She had been moved from the infirmary to a special facility built on the station. Dr. Stephen Franklin had taken charge of monitoring her, and he had noticed a few things.

"First off, there's clearly been some improvement in the wetware that was installed by the Shadows. It could have developed from her interaction with the Eye on Z'ha'dum, but my hunch is that the Ragendora are behind this somehow."

Dr. Bashir scratched his chin, thinking about what Dr. Franklin said. He had studied the readouts all night long, trying to find a way to counteract the effects of the Shadow programming with no luck. He had also read up on Dr. Franklin's work with them, and he was relieved in a way that he wasn't the only one failing to come up with answers.

"Dr. Franklin, what do you propose to do with her? I mean, it's impractical to keep her here on the station for much longer."

"Julian, the best thing I can think of is sending her to Earth...your Earth...and see what Starfleet Medical can do. I'll be more than glad to assist them."

Hollifield and Sheridan chose that moment to walk in, and Anna suddenly woke up. She looked at her former husband, and hatred filled her eyes. Sheridan and Hollifield were talking to the doctors when Anna slid off the bed and stood up on her legs. She walked over to the force field and tried to stick her hand through.

The four men jumped back at the surprise, stunned that she was awake. "I thought you said you sedated her, Doc," Sheridan said to Bashir a little heatedly.

"I did. The dose I gave her should have lasted another four hours at least," Bashir countered.

"KILL YOU!...I...MUST...KILL...SHERIDAN," Anna cried out, angrily calling out to her husband. John Sheridan stepped back at the look of fury in her eyes. He remembered all the times they had together before she was cruelly taken away from him, only to return as a tool of the Shadows to get to him.

"Remember John, it's not the real her. It's the programming. Guys, step back, I'm going to try something.," said Hollifield, who began to walk slowly towards Anna.

He reached out to her mind with his psi abilities. _Anna, it's me. Garrison. Are you still in there? Are you still alive?_

_I'm still here! Why is he here? He murdered me! He murdered so many Shadows!_

_You're wrong, Anna! He tried to save you, but the Shadows had too tight a grip on you! We can still save you now, if you are willing to help._

_No! I will never betray the Eye! The machine is in my mind! I am the machine!_

Hollifield broke off the communication, but only after reaching into her mind to cause her to go to sleep. Once she collapsed onto the floor, Bashir turned off the force field and used a hypospray to further sedate her. Hollifield rubbed his temple, feeling a headache coming on at the intensity of the effort.

He motioned to Sheridan to walk outside with him. "I'm sorry, John, but I couldn't get through to her. The Shadow technology is too firmly implanted inside her."

Sheridan was lost in thought for a while, and Hollifield soon joined him. They remained silent for a long time, each with their own thoughts.

**Flashback Boston, Mass.  
February 14, 2237**

Before John met Anna, Garrison and Anna were a couple. Anna was attending MIT, while Garrison was attending Harvard in pursuit of a Masters of Business Administration. Garrison and his wife were having problems, and had a falling out. She moved out and he commiserated with his usual friends at his favorite hangout, which was once the subject of a television series for some inexplicable reason.

"This place may be called Cheers, but the atmosphere seems anything but tonight.," said Garrison.

Anna took a sip of her Samuel Adams lager, then responded, "Well, the Red Sox's main starting pitcher just went down for the season because of a blown knee, and both the Celtics and Bruins lost to their New York rivals tonight. Your wife must be happy."

"Yeah, she's happy because I'm miserable. I've never known someone to be so selfish before. She gives only so much, then wants so much more in return. I could have stayed at Carolina and gotten my MBA there, but she supported my idea of moving up here."

"Well, she's made her choice, Garrison. It's her career over you, and that's not fair."

"I dunno. It seems like that her bad side has long since eclipsed her good side."

"Have you considered seeing if she'll see a shrink?"

Garrison shook his head, "Tried and failed. She doesn't want anyone messing around with her head. It's a shame, because someone needs to get inside there and fix things."

Anna finished her lager, and took Garrison by the hand. They went out into the Boston night, and enjoyed themselves. It was a Friday night, and those who weren't sports fans were having a good time nonetheless."

Late that night, they stopped at a local hotel and checked in. After getting inside, they made love to each other. Anna didn't know where this would lead, but she was going to enjoy it for as long as she could. She loved the fact that Garrison gave so much of himself when they made love, and their intercourse lasted well into the night.

Early in the morning, she was resting her head on his shoulder, feeling satisfied. "So when do you think you'll talk to her again?"

"I dunno. She's not due back in Beantown for another month, if she comes back at all."

"Do you think she'll come back to you?"

"I just don't know. And I don't know what to do about us if she wants me back."

"Well, we'll think about that when that time comes, but for now..." Anna made her way down his body.

"For now..." Garrison said as he lay back and enjoyed Anna's pleasuring.

**On board Deep Space Nine **

**September 4, 2377 **

**11am**

Hollifield and Sheridan were eating breakfast at the local replimat. It wasn't anything special, just something to keep the belly full.

"You know I was thinking. If Victoria hadn't come back, I probably would have never met Anna. You two were very close for a while there," Sheridan said.

"Yeah, we had some good times, but I just felt more for Vicki than I did for Anna. Sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice."

Sheridan sighed, "Well, they're all lost to us now. Anna may be alive, after a fashion, but the woman we both knew has long since passed on."

"Damn Shadows! I had heard about the mission, but didn't find out where it was going until the Shadows had already captured Anna and the rest. I had heard from my sources in the Minbari government that the _Icarus_ was on Z'ha'dum, but it was too late to do anything."

"It's not your fault, Garrison. I used to think it was mine, but I realized that she left on that mission because of her curiosity. I never did forgive General Lochschmannan for that surprise inspection."

Hollifield nodded, "Yeah, and it wasn't a surprise that he chose Clark's side in the civil war. I remember when he was a colonel, adajent to General Waiko, and it was the general who had to do the restraining in that relationship."

Bashir came into the replimat, got his food, and then came by their table. With a wave, Hollifield invited him to sit at their table. "Morning, doctor. Any news on Anna?"

"No, sir. I wish I had something better to report, but everything is the same as before. I did have an idea, though."

Sheridan asked, "What is it?"

Bashir told them the idea, and both Sheridan and Hollifield were taken aback by it.

"Are you sure this is wise, Doctor? We just had the Borg come over to our side, and asking them to help with Anna is asking for trouble.," said Sheridan

"I know, but it may be our best hope to revive her. I'm just saying that we should talk it over with Picard and the technomages and see what they think. Maybe there is a way to help her out without unduly exposing them to her programming."

Hollifield sipped at his synth coffee. "You have to admit, it's a good idea. The only question is, do we risk the technomages and the Borg because of it?"

Sheridan leaned back in his chair, looked at the ceiling, and let out a long breath. "I guess we have no choice."

Bashir tapped his comm badge, "Bashir to Kira. When can we meet to discuss an idea I've had about Anna?"

Kira's voice responded, "Right now, if you want. I don't have any other appointments until late in the day."

"Good. We're on our way. Thank you, General."


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

**Resurrecting Anna **

**  
**

**On board Borg Cube _Magellan_ (formerly Five of Twelve)  
September 8, 2377 **

**3:30pm**

Technomage Ing-Radi, a Kaitay, placed her four orange arms onto the body of Anna Sheridan, sending in organelles to help her heal and to calm her from the trauma she had experienced being beamed out of the heart of the Eye. When they had taken her out, the enemy ships retreated and headed away from the system. It was then decided to use the Yamato to destroy the planet, but not before a scan had been made of the planet's interior. Since what they had been expecting to find there wasn't on the planet, they let Yamato destroy the planet to deny the enemy their main staging area.

Ing-Radi was joined by Circe, who had once betrayed the Circle and the other technomages. Since the Legendora had brought them back from the dead, she had been remorseful for what she did, and wanted to do whatever she could to atone for her betrayal. Not many trusted her as they once did, but Ing-Radi was one of them, and she leapt at the chance to assist her in the treatment of Anna.

During a break, Ing-Radi balanced herself beside where Circe was sitting and asked her, "Are you coping well with being back among us?"

"I wish I could say yes, Ing-Radi. However, the others still view me with suspicion, after what I did. How could I be so stupid to let ambition blind me like that? I mean, knowing what I know now of all your responsibilities and demands, I find myself foolish in wanting to be part of the circle."

Ing-Radi touched her friend's shoulder with one of her orange arms, and Circe found that her healing touch had relaxed some of the tense muscles inside her. "Ambition isn't a bad thing, becoming obsessed with it is, and you were more than obsessed. It was the main reason why the others didn't want you as part of the Circle."

Circe nodded soberly, then said, "Is there a hope that they'll forgive me?"

Ing-Radi sighed and said, "I don't know. I forgave you because I knew that you aren't an evil person at heart, and that your ambition and obsession just took over and you became something you didn't want to be."

They were interrupted when the monitor indicated that Anna was nearing consciousness. Circe touched a button on the console and it alerted those involved with helping Anna to come to the medbay.

Jean-Luc Picard entered, along with Seven of Nine, who was Borg herself before becoming part of the Voyager crew when they were lost in the Gamma Quadrant. It was there that Voyager had discovered the homeworld of the Borg. They were able to come home using the Borg subspace network of wormholes. They were thought to have been destroyed, but the technomages had helped the Borg restore them to operational status and the alliance was using them in their fight with the Ragendora. Seven of Nine was impressed with the technomages ability, and was Federation liaison with them.

"She's close to waking up," Picard asked, to which Ing-Radi nodded. Entering behind them were technomages Blaylock and Elric, members of the Circle along with Ing-Radi, and they scanned the consoles beside Anna. Blaylock gave Circe a hard look, but Circe was pleased to find that Elric looked at her warmly. She still felt shameful at what she had done to him. Her ambition had led her to betray the technomages and trick Elric to get inside the control complex of the area where they were hiding, and led to her killing Elric as well as her own death. She was glad for his forgiveness, because it was hard enough to forgive herself for what she'd done.

Anna stared to stir on the bed, and Picard activated the force fields around Anna. "I see that the organelles have done some good at sedating her and healing her, but we need to find some way to counteract the Shadow programming inside her. I don't want to risk having Galen trying to free her tech and getting taken over again by her like he was on our first attempt at this. And I certainly want to keep her away from interacting with any Borg systems."

Elric nodded and replied, "Agreed. We're being patient with this because this could be a wealth of information if we're able to turn her to our side. We know that Borg tech and our tech have similar origins, and we've found that Shadow tech and that of the Borg also have a common origin, so it's worth the risk. However, Galen isn't well enough yet for another attempt, so we have to try this from another angle."

The intercom system inside the cube came on and another technomage, Federico, came on and made an announcement. "Elric, Blaylock, Picard,and Seven of Nine: your presence is requested on the bridge. A life pod has been spotted and we've detected a life form inside of it. It's human, from what I can gather."

The four made their way out of the sick bay, but not before Picard injected Anna again with a sedative to keep her under. With the bed that she was lying on, and the tubes connected to her body, he didn't have to risk physical contact with her to sedate her. An intravenous tube was feeding Anna, and the only monitor that she was near was that on the bed itself. She could take that over, but the force field would keep her from the more vital systems.

When they arrived on the bridge, they were looking at a projection of the object. They had also summoned Dr. Stephen Franklin as well, since he had just come on duty when the object had been spotted.

"That looks like an life pod off a Human ship, possibly a transport," mused Franklin. "Are you going to bring it on board?"

Picard thought for a moment, then activated a comm link. "Penelope, please beam the pod that we've spotted into shuttle bay 3."

Penelope, another freed Borg, replied, "Yes, Captain. Pod located...locked on...transporter activated...transport complete! The pod is in the bay, Captain. I've activated force fields just in case."

Picard acknowledged the reply and signed off. "Dr. Franklin, if you would accompany me..." Franklin nodded and went with Picard, followed by Elric and Blaylock.

When they arrived, the pod was still sealed. Penelope was joined by Drusilla and Ariadne in the bay. "We've scanned the ship for life forms, and there's one on board. Life signs are good, but a bit odd. They're human, but also a little alien.," replied Ariadne, who was a doctor and a scientist before being assimilated by the Borg.

Picard walked up to the edge of the force field, and Dr. Franklin joined him. "Drop the force field." Penelope did so and they made their way over to the hatch. "Do you know how to open it, Doctor?"

"Yeah, just give me a second to work on the hatch.," replied Franklin, who went to work on the lock on the pod. After a moment, it opened up and revealed a redheaded woman in a dirty outfit, surrounded by a mess of food packets, drink packets, and air bottles.

Franklin's eyes went wide and he exclaimed, "Lyta? It can't be!"

Picard asked him, "You know her?"

Franklin nodded and said, "Yeah, I know her. Last I saw of her, she was about to die. It's a long story."

Lyta Alexander began to stir and saw Franklin, saying in a very tired, quiet voice, "Stephen? Where am I?"

Franklin replied, "It's ok, Lyta, you're among friends. Why were you in the pod?"

Lyta said, "I was on G'Kar's ship. He had been abducted by a group of Narns wanting him to come back to their homeworld, and I had set out to find them when I was overcome by a flash. When I awoke, I was being hailed by someone called the Ragendora. They asked me to join them, and I sensed their evil and said no. They attacked the ship and I had to hurry up and get into the escape pod before the ship was destroyed."

It was then Lyta noted Picard. "Who's he," she asked.

Franklin replied, "That's going to take some explanation. Let's get you to sick bay first." He helped her up and they made their way to another sickbay.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

**Anna, Third Version **

**  
**

**On board Borg Cube _Magellan_**

**September 12, 2377 **

**11pm**

Anna blinked her eyes and tried to shield her hand against the light, but found it restrained. She tried to turn her head to avoid the light,  
but found that she could barely move her head.

"Dim the lights and let up on the force fields.," said a voice, and Anna felt the bonds restraining her release. A face came into view, a older woman with long red hair much like her own. "How do you feel," said the woman.

Anna tried to speak, but her throat was dry and raw. ""Weak...thirsty." Anna croaked out.

The doctor pressed a button and the head of the bed raised up, putting Anna's torso in a reclined position. Another woman brought over a glass of water for Anna to drink, and Anna sipped at it, letting the water spread down her throat. When she had finished, she held the glass out for the other woman to retrieve.

"What do you remember, Anna," asked Dr. Crusher.

"I remember being in the Eye, preparing to activate the weapons systems, when I felt like I was...dissolving. Next thing I know, I'm waking up here."

"Anything about the past,"

"Some of it, Doctor. It's still blurry, but I do remember the mission to Z'ha'dum, getting off the Icarus, and the rest of it. The details are still sketchy in my mind, but I think I remember more than I did before."

Dr. Crusher smiled and applied a sedative to help Anna sleep. From behind the one-way window, Picard, Lyta Alexander, and Dr. Franklin watched Anna fall back asleep.

"How much more can we bring out of her, Ms. Alexander," asked Picard.

"Captain, it's tricky, but I think, with patience, we can bring out some of her old personality. I felt it inside her when I did my initial scans of her mind. But it will not be easy, because I have to work around some of the Shadow programming inside her brain already. I have to try and disassociate her mind from it, and it will not be easy."

Picard nodded and left, clearly wanting things to move faster but also understanding that patience was a must right now.

Dr. Franklin sat down on a chair and looked off into space for a moment, then turned to Lyta and asked, "How are you holding up?"

Lyta shrugged and sighed, saying, "Better than I expected. I never expected to be traveling through space inside this...whatever it is."

"Borg cube. Don't ask me why they chose a cube, but ever since they began to free themselves from the programming, they have dramatically changed the inside of this place. I remember how hot and stuffy it was when we first came on board."

"Doctor, do you really think Galen can free Anna from the influence of the Shadows? I've dealt with someone who was prepped to go into a Shadow vessel, and it was hard enough to bring them into consciousness without them trying to merge with the nearest computer system. With someone who has already been inside one...it's even tougher. But the preparations that the mages have made have helped out a lot, so I think we have a chance."

Later on, Galen walked into the room where Anna was staying. Anna sat up in the bed, watched as he entered the room, and said, "I remember you! You were on Thenothk when my old ship was damaged and I had to be taken out of it. I remember reaching out to you in that room and feeling that you had been deactivated and I had to rip open a paneling to find the machine and reactivate you. Then I was coated by the machine and you went away."

Galen nodded and said, "Yes. That was a long time ago. Things have changed a lot since that time. The Shadows you were enslaved by have left the galaxy."

Anna said, "I know. Lyta told me in my therapy sessions."

"Then you know somewhat about who took over Z'ha'dum and tried to bring it into this new fight. You know who they are, and what they're up to."

Anna suddenly closed her eyes and grasped her head. "Yeah, but the programming is fighting me. They tell me you can help me. Can you?"

Galen looked through the window, and saw his love Isabelle there, his eyes being able to see through the coating that prevented Anna from seeing those that observed her. He turned back to Anna and said, "Yes, I believe I can, but you must trust me."

Anna's headache subsided, and she said, "Then do what you have to do."

Three days later, Galen walked out of the room, drenched in sweat and looking exhausted. The others gathered around him and wondered about his condition. They almost forgot about Anna until she walked out of the room in the same stained outfit that she wore inside the Eye.

Anna looked at the others and said, "I'm ready to help. Tell me what I need to do."


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

**Awkward Reunion**

**  
**

**On board Borg Cube Magellan **

**September 20, 2377 **

**4pm**

John Sheridan knew that this meeting had to take place, but he didn't want to face her again. His wife, Delenn, knew that it had to happen, but she, most especially, did not want the meeting to take place. But if they were to work together, they would have to face each other.

Sheridan walked into the room and Anna looked at him. She didn't hiss at him like she had when she was still controlled by the programming, but she didn't run up to him and embrace him like she would have back when they were married.

"John, it's good to see you again."

John smiled and looked at the woman he once loved, and still had a place in his heart for. "How are you feeling Anna?"

Anna smiled and said, "Like I've been reborn. Galen has worked a wonder with me, as well as the Borg."

John shuffled his feet, and Anna could tell he was very nervous, so she decided to try and help ease him. "John, I'm not the same person you once knew and loved. I'm not the same one that was twisted into a weapon for the Shadows. I'm a new person, and I am still discovering what I am."

John wanted to walk up to her and hug her, tell her that it'd be all right, but he knew that he had to take things easy with Anna. "Do you remember any of it?"

Anna smiled and said, "All of it, John. All of it. I remember everything about our marriage. I know I was lucky to have had a husband like you, but you are with Delenn now, and I accept that. You said your goodbye to the old Anna when you dove down into the abyss, and you have a new life that you must lead."

"Anna, I think I should tell you something..."

"About how you don't have that much longer to live?"

That stopped John short. "How did you know?"

Anna walked up to him and touched him on the shoulder. "Delenn came here a while ago and we talked about things. I told her that I had no attachment to you except for friendship, and that I wanted to work on becoming friends with her."

John smiled and said, "Thank you Anna."

"My pleasure, John. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to get ready for the injection of the Borg implants. According to Galen and Drusilla, it'll help me even further with controlling the Shadow implants."

John nodded and walked out of the room, looking back as the door slid shut. Anna sighed and went over to the chest-of-drawers that was in her room and put on the outfit that Seven of Nine had left with her earlier in the morning. This was not a required step in her treatment, but when presented with the choice, she leapt at it, because she knew that she had to put as much distance between herself and the old Shadow programming.

Seven of Nine came into her room and asked, "Are you ready, Anna? The others are ready and waiting."

Anna nodded and began to walk out with her, but stopped and asked her, "Seven of Nine, have you thought about changing your name?"

Seven of Nine looked at her and said, "I'm not sure. I was taken when I was just a child, so I haven't remembered much from before I was abducted."

"Have you thought about a name for yourself? Seven of Nine is kind of awkward."

Seven of Nine looked away for a moment, lost in thought, then returned to Anna. "I'm not sure. I've honestly not given it much thought."

Anna said, "When we have a chance, I want to help you choose a name for yourself."

Seven of Nine smiled briefly and said, "Thank you, Anna. I'm appreciative of the offer, and when we have the time, we'll look into it. But now we need to get to the medbay."

Anna nodded and walked out with Seven of Nine with a warm smile on her face.

From inside the observation room, Drusilla, John Sheridan and Delenn looked on. "She's changed, that's for sure. The warmth and sincerity are there, as well as other parts of her old personality, but she's clearly not the same person I was married to long ago.," Sheridan observed.

Drusilla nodded, "The revised Borg implants will help her even further develop into her new self. Meeting you and Delenn was her idea, and I think it did a lot of good for her. It'll help her move on and forward with her life."

Delenn was still a little haunted by all of this, but looked hopeful when she asked, "Will she be able to help us in the coming fight?"

Drusilla nodded and said, "She already has. Throughout the rehabilitation process, she's given us everything she learned in the Eye and it's extensive. The Ragendora are building up their forces for an all out assault on multiple universes in the near future. We have time,but not a lot of it. I've passed on what we've learned to the Legendora and they'll brief us at the next meeting in a few days.

A comm signal came in via loudspeaker. "This is Picard. All command personnel are requested to come to the bridge immediately!"

When they arrived, they were watching something terrifying. "It's from the Romulan system. The Ragendora planet killers have struck Romulus and Remus, destroying both."

"In Valen's name!", said Delenn.

Picard knew the meaning of the phrase, and nodded. He continued by saying, The Romulans did track them to another aperture, where they disappeared. They've marked it and they've moved their forces out of their system and they are headed towards Federation space.Starfleet has asked us to meet them in the Neutral Zone and Drusilla has conversed with the rest of the Borg, and they have agreed to do so. Fortunately for us, the new praetor and most of the government as well as military commanders were off world at the time, so they are on board ships that make up the surviving Romulan fleet.

John soberly nodded, then asked, "When will we meet up with them?"

"In two days time. Several Starfleet ships will meet us there, and the Romulans have been told of our circumstances, so they know that the Borg are now our allies."

Aristotle stood up from his station and looked over to Picard with a fallen look on his face. "Picard, we've just gotten a signal from Quo'nos in the Klingon Empire. They're under attack. It's the Ragendora, and according to the Klingons, they have a planet killer."

"My God!", said Sheridan.

Picard looked at him and said, "This is far worse than we imagined. I'll inform Starfleet and the rest of our allies, then try and get in touch with Chancellor Martog."

Picard left the room, while Sheridan and Delenn stayed. The image of Quo'nos under attack came onto the view screen, and both of them could not pull themselves away from the image.

"It's like deja vu.", Sheridan said.

"The fall of night has come again. I haven't felt like this since I the Shadow war.", Delenn replied.

Sheridan wanted to say that they would prevail, but he couldn't muster it at that moment. All he could think about were the billions of Romulans and Klingons who were now dead because of the attacks.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

**Ambassador Spock, I Presume?**

**  
**

**Sarek Conference Center **

**Vulcan **

**October 1, 2377 **

**11am**

Derek Wildstar entered the conference room with his command staff from the _Yamato_ and took to their assigned seats. It was a large room, and it was already filling to capacity. Derek spotted the large delegation of Klingons to the far right of him, and they looked to be very subdued. He knew that feeling all too well, having his own Earth fall victim to the Ragendora planet killers. His sorrow ran deep inside him, and he, along with his love Nova, had shed many a tear over the loss of their homeworld. For them, it really hit them hard, and he knew the crew of his ship was taking it very hard. It made him all the more prouder that they were holding up magnificently under all of this.

Captain Ashcroft came by and tapped him on the shoulder, turning around and waving to Derek as he hurriedly made his way down to the main dais on the platform. Since seeing his Earth destroyed, Ashcroft, along with President Garrison Hollifield, had gone out of their way to try and help him. He looked over at Hollifield's delegation, and saw that he too was looking at him. Hollifield waves at him and gave him a thumbs up, then turned around to confer with his advisors.

The doors opened behind him and everyone turned to see which delegation was entering the room. They was absolute silence as the Romulan praetor, Selman Vak, made her way down to the dais, along with the ancient ambassador Spock. Spock's hair was a granite gray, but his stride was that of a man much younger than his age. He made his way to the podium, laid his PADD down on it, and began to speak to those assembled.

"Good morning. As all of you know, we have a new enemy the likes of which we have never seen before. Not in this universe, nor in the other universes. The Ragendora have attacked the homeworlds of the Romulans and the Klingons, destroying both with a weapon that, even I, with my advanced age, have never seen before.

"But thanks to the Legendora, we have a chance of defeating this new enemy. We have learned a lot of their plans, and we plan to take the fight back to them. We must do what we wish we did not have to do: prepare ourselves for a war we do not want.

"However, this war is far different than anything we have ever seen. Alliances are forming that we never thought possible. Speaking of which,will the chancellor of the Klingon Empire and the praetor of the Romulan Empire please join me here on the dais?"

Chancellor Martog and Praetor Selman Vak made their way to the platform, and slowly approached one another as they made their way to the podium. The Klingons had been the bitter enemies of the Romulans for centuries,but there had been some fence mending during the Dominion War. Now, with their mutual losses, it looked as if something truly historic was about to happen.

Selman Vak, dressed in her drab gray uniform typical of a Romulan, addressed Martog and the rest, never taking her eyes off the chancellor. "Chancellor Martog, members of the Klingon delegation, as well as those of the other delegations. For centuries, our two races have fought against one another because of our desire for expansion of our empires. However, we both have lost the center of those empires, and our hearts ache for those we have lost. It is with the full consent of the surviving Romulan Senate that I make the following proposal to the Klingon Empire. Not only are we proposing peace, but also we wish to join them, along with the others in this alliance, in finding and defeating the Ragendora who have victimized our worlds. We pledge our blood and our lives in pursuit of victory over the Ragendora."

She extended her hand to Martog, and Martog didn't hesitate to shake it. "Praetor Vak, we may have a history of blood and death between our two races, but what we also have is a solemn duty to avenge those who were lost, and to defeat the Ragendora before they do what they have done to our worlds to anyone else. I have spoken with the High Council and we are unanimous in our agreement for peace with the Romulans. Let those Ragendora and their allies know that, from this day forth, they face an enemy the likes of which they have never seen before! We will not rest until we have defeated them and made our universes safe for the future. We Klingons have become tired of war in recent years, but we will do what is necessary to prevent the destruction of our allies. Today is not a good day to die, for it is a good day to live, and we plan on living for many eons to come! Those some of us may die, we will prevail in the end. No sacrifice is too much for us to achieve what we must achieve. And now, my friends, we must get to work, because our victory is at hand!"

The applause was deafening and continued for a very long time as the two leaders of the former warring empires embraced and spoke with Ambassador Spock. They made their way around the dais, shaking hands with those in the alliance. It was a sight that many never thought they would see.

But they were about to get some very bad news, as a Narn heavy cruiser, the _L'nok_, jumped into normal space around Vulcan. Na'Toth helped Ambassador G'Kar into the transport and they made their way down to the surface, approaching the main Vulcan spaceport.

Sheridan and Delenn were there to greet him, along with Ambassador Spock and President Hollifield. When the platform descended from the transport, there were three people at the top of the ramp. Two were Narns, G'Kar and Na'Toth, and the other was a familiar Centauri, bitter enemies of the Narn. His name was Vir Cotto. They slowly made their way down to the ramp, and Spock noted something in G'Kar's posture that led him to speak to Delenn. "I fear something dreadful has happened.," Spock said simply.

Delenn's eyes went wide, "In Valen's name, you don't mean..."

Spock looked back at her and said, "I'm afraid it seems so."

When the three reached the end of the ramp, G'Kar stood upright and removed his arm from around his former aide Na'Toth. He walked up to Sheridan and said, with tears in his eyes, "Narn...is gone!" Then he collapsed, and Sheridan began screaming for a medical team.

Delenn turned to Spock and said, "It's what we feared."

Spock said, "Sometimes, reality is far worse than what we could ever imagine. That is why I said what I said, because I noted the way the Narn looked. It was similar to those on the Romulan ship when we came out of warp and saw the final stages of the destruction of Romulus and Remus."

"But how will we find a way to defeat these people?"

"As your people have a way of saying, Delenn...faith manages."


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

**The Legions of Fire and Brimstone**

**  
**

**War Room**

** Babylon 5 **

**March 20, 2271 **

**11am**

Vir Cotto brought the people that he'd been working with to deal with a problem emerging on his homeworld of Centauri Prime. Ren Lanas had been used by the Drakh in an attempt to assassinate John Sheridan years ago. and he'd been thwarted by Cotto. Having been freed from their influence, Lanas had become Cotto's right hand man in finding out what was going on inside the Royal Palace. Another was Lady Senna, who was still on Centauri Prime, and had supplied another associate, Dunseny, with several data crystals full of intelligence. Dunseny had managed to sneak inside Emperor Mollari's personal library and scan his personal diaries. It was a tremendous invasion of privacy, but with the Drakh's stranglehold on their homeworld, the rebellious Centauri had to take tremendous risks in order to regain their planet.

Galen had been assisting them as well, and he was in attendance at the meeting. He showed the image of the keeper on Emperor Mollari's neck, and explained what it did. "It allows the Drakh to monitor Mollari, and to inflict punishment upon him should they not do as he is told. He had to submit to allow the keeper to merge with him, though I don't know why."

"I think I may know why, or at least why he would do so.," Hollifield interjected, "Mollari's a proud man, and he would not cede control over himself or his world unless there was a great threat against Centauri Prime. My bet is they have some ace up their sleeve."

Dunseny produced copies of the scans he made of Mollari's diary. "They do. According to him, they have planted fusion bombs under the surface of Centauri Prime, and they would wipe out virtually all of the population should they go off. He gives no indication of where they are, but I'm sure that you have a way of finding out."

Captain Ashcroft nodded and added, "We do. We can scan the surface and try and find those bombs. If we can beam them out into space and destroy them, all the better, but if we can at least locate them and deactivate them, then we should be able to get rid of them later on. If we take their threat away, then we can move to drive them off your homeworld, Cotto."

"What about Mollari," said Cotto.

Michael Garibaldi slammed his hands on the table and asked, "Look, I know you're his friend, but after all he's done, after all the people who died because of what's he's done..."

Garrison Hollifield yelled out, "Michael, shut the hell up! I know the way you feel, but I've know him a hell of a lot longer than you have, so don't start acting like you can stick the knife in him and kill him that easily."

Ashcroft cut them off both short, saying, "Look, I don't give a damn what he's done or who's he's supposedly responsible for killing, because we have bigger things on our plate to worry about. Besides, if we can get rid of that keeper off of him, he may become an ally of ours. We first need to drive off the Drakh and get rid of their influence, then find out what the Ragendora have been doing with the planet. We took Z'ha'dum away from them, so they may be looking for another center to organize their offensive against us. Let's not give them the chance to acquire Centauri Prime."

Garibaldi and Hollifield slowly sat down in their seats, chastised. Hollifield continued, "The _Wildstar_ is ready to depart to Centauri Prime, along with the _Defiant III_ and _Yamato II_, as well as _Yamato_ and whatever other forces we can muster. We have some Earthforce Marine Corps troops en route, as well as platoons of Klingons and Minbari assembling here. And Captain Wildstar has whatever EDF Marines he can bring into the fight coming soon. We should be able to leave in three days time. Any other questions?"

No one said anything else. "Alright, I'll leave you with one last thing before we adjourn the meeting. If the Ragendora decide to take out the planet, we plan on beaming as many people out before they surround the planet. The details of the last resort rescue operation are being sent to your ships. Anyone going on the planet should know that there is a chance they won't be beamed off of it in time. Let's just hope they are busy with other things. "

The meeting adjourned, and the members began to file out. Garibaldi came over to Hollifield and said, "Look, I'm sorry about what I said earlier. It just seems that people want to forget about what he's done."

Hollifield nodded and said, "Apology accepted, Michael. I know what he's done, and why he did it. Hell, it's not like there weren't plenty of others who helped the Shadows and now the Drakh. But I know that Mollari regrets what he has done, and he also knows he can't ever fully atone for what he's done. He learned a painful lesson."

"What's that?"

"That you can love something too much, and do it more harm than good. Look what the Narns and Drazi did when we discovered that it was the Centauri behind those attacks, or allegedly behind them, because I wonder if the Drakh didn't set them up. We have to free him from their influence that the keeper has on him, then try and help him win back his people."

Cotto came over and joined the conversation. "That won't be easy, because Prime Minister Durla has been consolidating power at an astonishing rate. He seems to have picked up some lessons from Clark."

"Especially with those Prime Candidates. Didn't that guy that was killed there when Garibaldi and G'Kar went there to check out that site on Xonos say that they reminded him of Hitler Youth? We have to be ready for that. I've already briefed General Franklin about that as well as the Minbari and the Klingons. What worries me is that they'll try a kind of insurgency like they did back in Vietnam, Iraq, Columbia, and in Bangladesh, and we Humans know how those turned out. We have to be quick about this, and, Vir, you may have to assume the role of emperor a lot sooner than you ever expected."

Cotto blinked, then, before he asked, Hollifield answered, "Lady Morella told me of the prophesy a while back, when I went to see her before all hell broke loose years back. She told me of Mollari's future, yours and mine."

"What did she tell you," Cotto asked.

"I'd rather not say. Don't want to spoil things for you, Cotto.," Hollifield laughed, trying to make light of things. Knowing he failed miserably, he shrugged and walked along with them out of the war room.

**Centauri Prime **

**March 21, 2271 **

**6pm**

It was night in the capital city, and Londo Mollari was asleep in his bed. The Drakh Shiv'kala walked into the refuge that he had demanded Mollari assemble for his kind. There, he met with Morden, as well as two new allies.

"Mollari won't stand in our way when we decide to step up our efforts. The Drakh Entire is fully behind the Ragendora, Morden, and we're making plenty of progress in readying a new Centauri fleet to attack the other members of the Alliance. Taking Narn out was an excellent idea, because it puts the fear of death back into the Alliance."

Morden smiled his slimy smile, "Glad to be of service. I'd like to introduce you to two of our newest allies. This is Gul Dukat, soon-to-be leader of the Cardassian Union, and the now Empress Invidia, leader of the Comet Empire. They are also assembling their forces to aid in your attack. We also have plans to take back Cardassia from that civilian government and turn it back into a force to be reckoned with."

Shiv'kala nodded towards the guests, then asked, "What about those Jem'Hadar you told me about?"

Gul Dukat interjected, "For now, they'll be used to deal with Cardassia, but we'll soon have enough ready to aid in your takeover of Earth. The great thing about he Ragendora is that they have made the Jem'Hadar even more lethal than they already were to begin with."

Invidia added, "And the Comet Empire fleet is being built up to attack Minbar. Our engineers are readying some new weapons to wreck havoc on that accursed world. They denied us our vengeance upon one Earth, but not on the one we really wanted."

Shiv'kala nodded, and his craggy face seemed to smile at the welcome news. "Good. Our plans are proceeding as scheduled. Soon, we'll have our vengeance upon all of our enemies."

"What about Durla? Does he know about us," asked Dukat.

"No. We influence him in other ways. We do not need a keeper on him, because he's already headed in the direction we need him to go."

Morden smiled again, playing with the stone on his necklace. "They know not of what is coming. We'll be ready in a few days to launch our attack from here onto Minbar and Earth. I can't wait to see the look on Sheridan's face when he loses both Minbar and Earth, just as it seemed that he'd saved them!"

He took out a picture of Anna and ripped it apart. "This person thought she was essential to the effort. But we now have a new Z'ha'dum to serve as a command post, and the right person to deal with the threat from the Federation. They may have the Borg, the Klingons, and the Romulans playing nice now, but there are others who want to take up where the others left off."

Entering the room was a being encased in a environmental suit. "Let me introduce Narvak, general of the seventh fleet of the Tholian Assembly, and our newest ally."


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

**The Shot Heard 'Round The Galaxy**

**  
**

**Centauri Prime **

**March 28, 2271 **

**11am**

Prime Minister Durla looked upon the Tower of Power with pride. To him, it pointed towards Centauri destiny. To others, he'd heard, it was an eyesore, but no one dared say it within his hearing or he would have had them electrowhipped to death. Ruthlessness was the way of the universe, it seemed to him, and his faith in the Great Maker fueled his ruthless drive to power, believing that it was he, in the form of the woman he loved, Mariel, that was the inspiration for the dreams that supplied him the visions to make Centauri Prime great once again.

Little did he know, it was the Drakh, with their keeper offshoot called a dreamweaver, that were behind his visions. No one but a select few knew of that, and those few were unknown to Durla and his cabinet, as they assembled on the balcony of the Royal Palace to address the masses.

Looking out over a virtual sea of his people, Durla remembered that night when the Alliance attacked them, blaming them, unjustly in his mind, for attacks on Alliance shipping. He didn't care if it was just the Narn and Drazi, because he believed Sheridan had given the nod for the attack. Now, he would have his revenge. And, if the Great Maker was feeling generous, he might even take that pompous fool of an Emperor Londo Mollari away from him so he could assume that role as well.

Spiritual Minister Vallko was just finishing up his speech and beginning to introduce the prime minister when Durla got confirmation from the supreme commander of his newly assembled fleet, General Rhys, that his forces were ready to attack Earth and Minbar. Durla's smile was wide as Vallko pointed to him, gesturing him to come up to the podium. Durla walked up and basked in the rapturous applause from those assembled. He held out his arms in the universal gesture for quiet, but didn't care at this moment if they kept going for a while longer. However, his people obeyed (or rather, feared) him and quieted down to hear what he had to say.

He barely got out, "My friends," when his pride and joy, the Tower of Power blew up! The windowless, save for a small balcony just above the base, structure blew up like a chimney, and debris flew everywhere from the top down. Bodies began to fall all around them, and it became very clear in a short period of time that these bodies, clad in black and gray with a craggy skin of the same color scheme, were certainly not Centauri.

"NO," he shouted, and pushed past his cabinet on the way to his own palatial estate. His ministers, led by Chancellor Lione, followed dutifully out of a heavily guarded side passage. His own office at his home had a secure terminal where he could send the go-codes to the fleet. What he didn't know was that General Rhys had learned from Vir Cotto all about the Drakh and, after launching off on the attack, had secretly assembled the commanding officers of each ship and let them in on the news. To a man, they all denounced Durla and their ships sat in hyperspace just a jump away from Centauri Prime.

When the Tower finally collapsed, a huge alien vessel descended down from the sky and into the opening. When it had landed, a hatch deployed at the bottom, and the Drakh found out how the resistance had gotten underneath the Tower: there were tunnels running underneath it, as well as all over the capital city.

"Spread out," came the command from the Drakh commander, and the forces began to do just that. For a couple of moments at least, because when they separated just enough, phaser fire began to cut them down. Running at them were a motley assortment of Centauri, Minbari, Humans, and an odd-looking race that had craggy foreheads!

One of those odd-looking aliens took out a bizarre sword and yelled, "Vengeance for Quo'nos!", and sliced off the head of a Drakh. Worf's bat'leth was coated with blood as he and his fellow Klingons made their way, along with the Narn and Minbari who were with them. One of the Minbari warriors, Ghenton, ran beside him as they made their way deeper into the catacombs, and said to Worf, "These are magnificent blades,"Worf! I've never fought with something that was so efficient in delivering the killing blow!"

Worf nodded and said, "And I have every intention of dealing many of them to the Drakh today!" Together, along with their forces, they ran underneath the surface towards the palace.

Vir Cotto had hijacked the communications systems and was telling all the people of Centauri Prime of Durla's betrayal and the involvement of the Drakh. Durla angrily shouted orders to have the transmission cut off as he hurried towards his room!

"Durla, you can't launch that fleet! We've been tricked," yelled out Lione.

"No! This is an Alliance trick! I cannot believe that at the moment of our greatest triumph, my cabinet would betray me and my visions!"

Vallko, looking like a broken man, yelled out, "Spare us your visions, Durla! It's been the Drakh behind all of this!"

He reached his room and opened the door. His wife, Mariel, looked at him puzzled, and he yanked her out of her seat and out the door. He held a pistol to her head and shouted at his cabinet, "If you do not back me now, this will be your fate!" He pushed her down and took aim with his pistol, but was struck by a variety of bullets as troops stormed into the hallway.

"Freeze! Anyone moves will be turned into Swiss cheese! Get your hands up," yelled out Sergeant Knox, and his EDF Marines took custody of his surviving cabinet. Derek Wildstar hurried beside the fallen woman and lifted her up. "Are you all right," he asked. She nodded, then got to her feet and kicked the body of Durla. "I never loved you, you fool," she yelled out, then turned and allowed Wildstar to escort her out.

They had gotten almost to the end of the hall when suddenly a shot rang out and Mariel's back arched severely. Wildstar saw that Mariel was spitting up blood, clearly shot in the back, and slowly helped her to the floor. He saw Durla on the floor, pointing his pistol at him. "I may not get what I want, but I will get my revenge on your Earthers," he yelled out, and he aimed at Wildstar, who was struggling to get to his pistol. Before Durla could kill him though, the prime minister's chest blossomed as a shot from behind Wildstar finished off Durla.

He turned and saw it was his own love, Nova Forrester. "Derek," she yelled, and came up to him, then sat beside him and Mariel. Mariel was dying, but managed to say to the two of them, "I have sinned greatly, Great Maker. Forgive me for what I've done, and protect Vir, the one I love!" She then slumped over, dead. Hollifield ran into the hallway, and quickly yelled, "It's me! It's me!" as he saw Nova and Derek reflexively raise their pistols towards him. They lowered them and he came up to him. "What happened," he asked and Derek filled him in on what had transpired.

"I wish we could have taken him alive, but you've got to do what you've got to do.," he finally said, then scanned Mariel, "She's gone. It's a shame. She used to be Mollari's wife, long ago, but they divorced. It's a long story, which we'll have to save because we've got to get to the Royal Palace!" With that, the three of them departed the two corpses and headed out of the mansion.

Mollari saw the fighting going on in the streets. The Drakh were not only coping with the Alliance troops, but other Centauri as well. "Are you happy now," asked a voice behind him.

Mollari turned and said, "No, because I know that you are about to kill me, but I would rather die and have my world free than live another day longer in slavery!'

Shiv'kala smiled and said, "It's not that simple, Mollari. Remember the fusion bombs?" The Drakh pulled out the triggering device and fingered it, and Mollari couldn't help but gulp in fear.

Yet he decided it was time to call the creature's bluff. "Leave my world, Shiv'kala. You are defeated! You have no bombs!"

Shiv'kala pressed the button, and it was in that moment that Mollari had thought that all was lost. Except nothing happened.

Shiv'kala blinked, then pressed the button again. Still nothing happened, and the creature roared "What?"

Suddenly, a dark haired male human and a blond headed female human appeared out of thin air in front of them. The male yelled out,  
"Surprise!", and shot Shiv'kala in the chest, knocking him back. The human male dodged a spike that the Drakh had somehow shot at him, shot him again, and then tapped a broach on his chest, saying, "Ashcroft to Wildstar! Four to beam up!" Mollari looked puzzled at it as the room spun and he went from his royal palace and into some strange room.

"What is the meaning of this," asked Mollari. Hollifield didn't answer, and suddenly Londo felt a pressure of something against his neck. For a split second, he thought it was the keeper, but found he was being injected with something. Since he didn't care if he died, he didn't bother with trying to stop them.

The hypospray knocked Mollari out immediately, and two security guards grabbed onto him. "Good work, Dr. Martinez! Take the Drakh to the sickbay and put force fields around him." He looked up at Mollari again and noticed that the keeper appeared on his left shoulder. "And do what you can to get this thing off him without killing him. Franklin's on board and ready to assist you."

Dr. Sylvia Martinez nodded and had Mollari and Shiv'kala taken to sickbay. Belinda Montgomery stood beside him and, after the ship shook slightly from a hit, she said, "I think we should make our way to the bridge."

Hollifield said offhandedly, "I think we should to. Good idea of tracking those bombs down and beaming them right in front of the approaching Drakh fleet. Over half of them were taken out in the explosion."

Montgomery nodded and took the praise in stride. "Thank you, sir, but we've got business to attend to."

"So we do. Lead the way, Lieutenant Commander!" With that, the two of them entered a tube car and made their way to the bridge.


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

**The Redemption of Londo Mollari **

**  
**

**On board USS _Wildstar _NCC-1971 **

**April 1, 2271 **

**12 noon**

Captain Stephen Ashcroft stood outside the sickbay where a sedated emperor of the Centauri Republic and Shiv'kala lie in their respective beds. Rounding the corner was Vir Cotto and General Rhys, who were with Lt. Commander Belinda Montgomery as they made their way from the transporter room to sick bay. "Captain, how's the emperor's condition," asked Cotto.

"Stable. We've tried a few times to remove the keeper, but each time we almost lost him. It seems to have a telepathic link with him, so we're trying to find a way to sedate the keeper so it'll stay under and still allow Mollari to be conscious."

Rhys looked down and said, "Is there some way to remove it without killing him? To see the leader of your world like this is...most disturbing."

Ashcroft nodded, "I agree. We're still trying to find some way, but it's going to take time. We'll hit the aperture in a couple of days, and if we haven't freed him by then, we'll take him to one of our starbases and see what we can do."

While this was going on, Mollari was dreaming. Dreaming of his world in flames. Dreaming of Shiv'kala.

_"You thought you could stop us, didn't you? You were wrong! We will have our revenge upon your people, Mollari! You betrayed the Shadows, and you betrayed me! You will pay in time, but your people, Mollari...your people shall pay first!"_

Londo, in his dream state, crawled on the floor, weeping as she shuffled through the ashes of those vaporized by the fusion bomb blasts. _"No, please! Haven't you done enough? Haven't you killed enough?"_

Shiv'kala smiled evilly and said, _"Not nearly as much as you have! We expect to far exceed what you've ever done, and with the help of the Ragendora, we will conquer this galaxy, and this universe!"_

Londo asked who they were and what they were up to, and Shiv'kala said_, "Why should I tell you?"_

_"Because when I wake up, you will kill me anyway, then go on to kill my people!"_

Shiv'kala grunted. _"I would rather let you suffer, but the Entire wants you dead. And so I shall obey and kill you. Very well, since I'll kill you before you can do anything about it, I'll tell you everything I know!"_

And he did.

A few days later, President Garrison Hollifield came into sickbay. It had been decided to delay _Wildstar_ from leaving until they had some idea of how to treat Mollari. Ashcroft had asked Hollifield to use his telepathic powers to help, and he had agreed.

He touched the forehead of Mollari and entered his mind. In Mollari's dream state, he stood in front of the Drakh, and Mollari crawled into him. _"Garrison? Garrison? What are you doing here,"_ asked Mollari.

_"To help save you.,"_ replied Hollifield, _"But you've got to tell me who controls your keeper."_

Shiv'kala laughed and his confidence finally got the best of him. _"Fool! You want to know who controls his keeper? The controller stands before you!"_

Hollifield smiled and said, _"Thank you.," _then, to Mollari, _"I'll be back soon!" _Then he exited his mind.

Hollifield opened his eyes and said, "It's the Drakh, Shiv'kala. He's the one who controls the keeper."

Dr. Martinez asked, "So how to we get control away from him?"

Hollifield looked at Ashcroft and said, "You have to kill him."

Ashcroft nodded and tapped his comm badge. "Ashcroft to Montgomery."

"Montgomery here."

"Where are you at present?"

"On the bridge, sir? What's up?"

Ashcroft sighed, looked at the Drakh, and said, "I need you to beam the Drakh from sickbay into space, then destroy him with a blast from the phaser banks. We've found out that this Drakh is the one controlling the keeper on the emperor."

Montgomery went silent for a moment, and asked, "Are you sure, sir?"

Ashcroft looked to Dr. Martinez, and she looked and him and said, "It's the only way, Garrison. It sucks, but it's the only way."

"Yes, I'm sure. Do it now, Belinda."

Montgomery knew how hard it was for him, because he rarely referred to her given name unless it was a tough situation. She powered up the transporter, and the Drakh was beamed out into space.

In Mollari's dream state, Shiv'kala suddenly went down, clutching at his throat. Mollari got up and stood over him, and suddenly found a sword in his hand.

_"Mollari! Don't do it! You'll pay! You'll ALL pay!"_

With one swift stroke, Mollari beheaded the Drakh, and the room filled with light!

Mollari shot up in the bed, and the keeper fell onto the floor. He gasped and struggled for breath, as the medtechs got him to lay back down. He struggled for only a moment, then relaxed. He closed his eyes, found nothing there, and then asked, "Where am I?"

Ashcroft stood over him and said, "You're on the USS _Wildstar_. My name is Captain Stephen Ashcroft."

Londo nodded and turned to see Garrison Hollifield, and he told him, "Thank you. I am in your debt, and I think I know of a way to repay it."

Hollifield replied, "Don't worry about it, Your Highness. You are going to be all right."

"Well, if we're going to be so formal, Mr. President, then I will tell you this: what do you know of a race called the Ragendora?"

Hollifield and Ashcroft looked at each other, stunned. Mollari continued, "Ah, yes! He was so confident that he would prevail that he told me everything that they had planned. The fool! He doesn't know how much he's sold out his own kind, as well as those he works for!" Mollari laughed, then coughed. He turned to the doctor and asked, "Excuse me, my dear, but could you use that thing you used to knock me out before on me? I think I need to rest."

Dr. Martinez smiled and said, "Of course."

Ashcroft and Hollifield walked out of the sickbay, then Ashcroft looked at him and asked, "Do you think he's lying?"

Hollifield shook his head, "No, I don't think so. We'll see though, but, from what I picked up from him, he's being truthful."

"This could be a big break for us, you know?"

"Yeah, Captain, this could be big."


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

**The Drakh Fought the Light, and the Light Won **

**  
**

**On board USS _Wildstar_ NCC-1971 **

**April 5, 2271 **

**9am**

"So you've spotted the Drakh fleet, you say," Mollari said.

"Yep. They are one jump away from Centauri Prime, and they are sending what looks like every ship they've got.," replied Captain Ashcroft.

Emperor Mollari nodded his head, and continued studying the tactical display. "Do you know if they have one of those planet killers with them?"

"Not for sure, but we're planning on dealing with it should it show up. The _Yamato_ has its wave motion gun, and it's capable of damaging it or destroying it. It took out the planet destroyer that the Drakh sent to Minbar, and, from the readings that Earthforce took of it, it looks to have been enhanced from the one they sent to take out Earth years ago. So I am optimistic about dealing with it.," Ashcroft said as he joined the emperor at the tactical display.

"Well, I've instructed my fleet to protect _Yamato_ at all costs. I've read the reports about the ship. Remarkable! Can it really destroy a planet killer?"

"Yes. I've witnessed it myself. They have the ability to harness tachyon energy in a way to produce not only their propulsion, but also to use that energy in a massive weapon, one that makes what any of the _Excalibur_-class ships can produce seem timid, and that's saying something!"

Ashcroft's comm badge signaled him, and he tapped it to respond. It was his tactical officer, Lt. Comm. Montgomery.

"Sir, we've picked up jump points forming. Scanners detect scores of Drakh ships, and they have a planet killer."

Ashcroft nodded. "Understood. Be there in a sec."

Ashcroft and Mollari left the office and came onto the bridge. Ashcroft sat down in the captain's chair, while the emperor sat beside him at another station.

"Status, Lt. Comm. Have the Whitestars begun their attacks yet?"

"Yes, Captain. Whitestars have begun to outflank the main heart of the fleet, but the planet killer is on another attack vector to the planet."

Mollari spoke up, "Where's the _Yamato_?"

"They're on their way, along with the _Hercules_ and _Yamato II_, as well as the other Centauri ships. They'll form a wedge to help _Yamato_ get as close to it as they can to use its wave motion gun to take out the planet killer."

Ashcroft sighed and said, "That is if they can. We've been too lucky so far. Let's hope for those folks down there we can be lucky again!"

**On board EDS _Yamato_**

** 9:30am**

Captain Derek Wildstar was watching as the surrounding Centauri ships took fire from the Drakh vessels. Other Whitestars were assisting as they came in from longer distances. The two Federation ships were taking out the ships that did break through the Centauri line, which were not many. That allowed _Yamato_ to power up her wave motion gun and target the massive planet killer.

Orion called to the bridge from the engine room, "Captain, power levels at one hundred percent! Gun ready to fire at your command!"

General Rhys slid the goggles over his eyes, never minding what the strap was doing to his upturned coif. He whispered, "Great Maker, let Wildstar be on target!"

Wildstar took aim and began the countdown, "10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...Fire!"

The front of the ship glowed as the brilliant white light began to form, then it shot out right at the planet killer, hitting the outer structure and slicing through it. The energy stampeded its way into the heart of the machine, melting the reactor core and setting off a chain reaction.  
The planet killer exploded and sent fragments flying away from the center of the blast. _Yamato II_ and _Hercules_ extended their shields over _Yamato_ to protect it. The Centauri ships cleared out earlier and were already assisting in demolishing the rest of the Drakh fleet.

Then, suddenly, _Yamato_ was hit in the bow by a massive blast!

"Report," Wildstar yelled out! Lt. Eager scanned the radar readouts quickly and soon found out what had given the great ship a boot to the proverbial bum. "Sir, it's the Comet Empire Dreadnaught! And we're getting a signal!"

The signal came through loud and clear, and the image showed a woman with the coldest look that Wildstar had ever seen. Her laugh was full of mocking and evil, and she spat out, "Foolish people! The planet killer was a diversion! Now, see the might of the Comet Empire as we use our planetary bombardment cannon to destroy Centauri Prime!"

**On board USS _Wildstar_**

**9:45am**

"Great Maker, no," said Emperor Mollari, who watched as the massive dreadnaught turned towards the planet. Below it, a cannon roughly half the size of the ship began to deploy.

Ashcroft called to his helm, "Set intercept course! Full impulse! Squeeze ever bit of speed you can!"

Montgomery shook her head, saying, "We won't get there in time, sir! They're powering up the cannon! Its output will be similar to that of Yamato's wave motion gun!"

"Do it anyway! Prepare to fire a full spread of quantum torpedoes at the junction where the cannon receives its energy from the ship!"

"Aye sir," said Montgomery.

"Where's it aiming at," said Mollari to no one in particular.

Litinova looked at her screen and her face went blank. "The center point of the blast will be at the capital. There's nothing we can...wait,  
we've picked up something in front of the ship!"

Ashcroft looked at the screen astonished, then commanded, "Magnify!"

The image was enhanced, and it showed the entire Gamilon fleet, with Deslok's flagship at the front.

Invidia came on again, "So Deslok, we meet again! It will be an even greater pleasure to destroy you along with that ship!"

Deslok smiled as he stood in front of the triggering device of the Deslok cannon, "Don't count me out yet, you miserable bitch! I have a little surprise for you!" He pulled the trigger and his ship released a massive amount of energy towards the cannon.

"FIRE," yelled Invidia, and the planetary bombardment cannon powered up, but the beam from the Deslok cannon struck first and went up the gun barrel!"

"NO! This can't be," screamed Invidia as the combined energy began to consume the ship.

Montgomery called out, "Sir, we'd better move! That ship's reactor's going critical and it's about to blow!"

"Set course 180, helm! Full impulse," cried out Ashcroft as the dreadnaught went up, being totally destroyed. The end of the Comet Empire had come at last!


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

**The End of Darkness, the Dawn of Light **

**  
**

**Royal Palace Centauri Prime **

**April 8, 2271**

** 12 noon**

Emperor Mollari walked out onto the balcony and he was blown back by the rapturous applause he received from the masses of his fellow Centauri. He had not expected this kind of reaction, especially after all he'd done and all that had happened. Could he have been forgiven by the people he ruled for all he'd done?

No, of course not, because this was a celebration for the people, not for him. His redemption was a long way off anyway.

He began to speak, "My fellow Centauri! Today is the dawn of a new day for all of us! For so long, we were enslaved by the Drakh, and I, as your emperor, was forced to serve their evil ways. They threatened to annihilate us with fusion bombs if I did not capitulate, so, to save our people, I submitted. For so long, I thought I had condemned our people to destruction because of the military buildup that the late, unlamented Prime Minister Durla had commissioned at the unknowing behest of the Drakh!

"So it must have been a great bit of irony that, with the help from our friends in the Federation, that I was freed from their accursed keeper, and our planet freed by our new allies. When the Drakh and their allies came for vengeance, it was the brave crew of the _Yamato_, as well as the Gamilon fleet, who defeated those who sought to destroy our homeworld."

The applause was unbelievably loud as the crew from the _Yamato_, as well as Gamilon leader Deslok, came out onto the balcony with the emperor. They waved to the crowd, then stepped back and gave Mollari a chance to continue his speech.

"We have told you that it was the Drakh that framed us for the attacks on Alliance shipping years ago, and now that the Interstellar Alliance has seen the evidence of the Drakh duplicity, they have joined us in our fight to end the Drakh threat. They have also invited us to rejoin the Alliance, and I have accepted!"

The crowd roared again, but this time it was noticeably less loud, and ISA President John Sheridan raised an eyebrow to his colleague and friend, Earth Alliance President Garrison Hollifield. "They don't easily forget, do they," mused Sheridan.

"It'll take a while to smooth things over, but we'll get the job done. Right now, the brunt of their anger is focused on the Drakh, and, to a lesser extent, the Ragendora."

"That's what worries me. We've not seen much of the actual Ragendora lately.," Sheridan responded.

"I know, but the Legendora have kept us well informed. They know that the battle is only just beginning.," said Hollifield, who turned back to listen to the speech.

Mollari began to conclude his speech, "For a long time, we have been led astray by others. Our leaders, and, yes, including myself, have shamed you, but I can tell you know, from my own experience, that the man I have chosen to be my next prime minister, as well as my successor, will not lead you astray. I know many of you may not believe me, but look at his actions in the resistance to the Drakh. I introduce to you know, your new prime minister, Vir Cotto!" Mollari turned to clap, and the balcony doors opened, and Vir Cotto walked out.

The crowd had been loud before, but it was nothing compared to the noise it was making now. Cotto kept walking forward, but he clearly was taken aback by the response.

"I didn't think he had it in him.," commented Garibaldi.

"Just goes to show that you never know with some people. Let's just be glad he's on our side," replied Delenn.

Cotto took to the podium and began to speak. "My fellow Centauri! For too long, we have been in darkness, blinded to the light. As your new prime minister, I will work with our allies to defeat those forces of darkness that have plagued us for so long. Our fleet, thanks in part to my old friend Durla, is now more than ready to fight the forces of darkness. As my first act, I appoint General Rhys as my military chief of staff!"

The crowd roared again as the humble military leader rose and waved briefly, then sat back down again. Some had worried that Rhys might try to set up a military government, but Cotto has reassured the Alliance that Rhys, lowborn in class and proud of it, would never overthrow the government. Rhys had helped Cotto purge the rest of the government of those loyal to Durla, and helped him select ministers who were truly loyal to Cotto and the emperor.

From a distance, Galen, with his two apprentices, Gwynn and Finian, watched the rally. Alwyn approached them and stood beside Galen. "Good work, you two! Galen, you must be proud of their efforts here on Centauri Prime."

Galen scratched his chin, then said, after a moment, "Yes, but much lie ahead, as you well know. This is only the beginning. The hardest times lie ahead."

Isabelle came up to him and wrapped his arm around him. Galen added, with a smile, "But we should enjoy this moment, while it lasts!"


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

**Plots in Dark Places **

**  
**

**Grenrekon, Abandoned Planet in the Cardassian Union **

**October 15, 2377 **

**2pm**

Mordan and Justin were not happy men. It seemed that their efforts to aid the Drakh and the Comet Empire were an act of futility. The Comet Empire was dead, and the Drakh were in retreat, their fleet a complete and utter shambles. Picard and Anna Sheridan, helped by the technomages, had turned around the Borg. They had taken out one of the Earth's and one of the Narns, as well as the Klingon and Romulan homeworlds in this universe. Nevertheless, they had suffered tremendous losses, and they expected their meeting with the new Ragendora liaison, Kelner, to be a rough one.

They entered the doorway to the meeting room, and the dark golden skin of the powerful alien reflected the sunlight of the distant sun. He looked at the two with cold contempt, and said bluntly, "We're not happy. We expected more out of you. But we haven't given up on you yet, because we know you have plans for Cardassia."

Morden nodded and replied, "Yes. Gul Dukat has assembled a fleet of renegade ships to aid us in our takeover of the planet, as well as some Jem'Hadar ships that the Federation don't know about. We've secretly been growing new Jem'Hadar soldiers and are close to having enough to complete a takeover of the planet."

Kelner smiled, and addressed Justin. "What about our plans for Betazed? We need those telepaths!"

Justin sighed and said, "You know that our people don't exactly like telepaths. Nevertheless, we've been able to assemble enough forces to prepare for a siege of the Betazed homeworld. We'll be ready to launch it at the end of the month. And, I have the perfect person to lead the attack."

Entering the room was a man in a dark uniform, with a Greek insignia of psi on his uniform. Kelner was immediately impressed with this man, and said to him, "So, they tell me you are the one assigned to lay siege to Betazed. Your name is?"

"Bester. Alfred Bester.," said the former Psi Cop. "I am glad to be of help. I intend to turn those people and bring them to your aid, along with the Psi Cops and bloodhounds that I've with me. Whom we don't turn, we'll kill. We intend to spare no one."

Kelner laughed and said, "Such ruthlessness is indeed rare! But don't get overconfident, because the enemy has proven very resourceful."

"Well, I can tell you that some of the Earth Alliance ships can be taken out of the fight. What President Hollifield and his brood don't know is that I have sleeper spies on board his ship. All I have to do is activate them, and they will take the ships out of the fight. And I know of a way to take out the _Hercules_."

Morden arched and eyebrow and asked, "How do you plan about going after that, Bester?"

"By kidnapping the wife of Captain Riker and replacing her with a Psi Cop that looks exactly like her. Angelina, would you come in here please?"

Entering was a woman in a Psi Cop uniform who looked exactly like Commander Deanna Troi, but Kelner could see there was a certain coldness in her eyes. He could see that this woman was more than she looked like.

"This is Angelina Falkia, and she was my protégé before the Telepath War came along. Now she's a full blown Psi Cop, even if the Psi Corps no longer exists. Our plan is a simple one: we know that the _Hercules_ is stationed at Deep Space Nine at the moment, and that Troi and Riker are on the Bajoran homeworld at the moment. We plan to kidnap her, Falkia will read her mind to get all the relevant information, and then take her place."

Falkia spoke up, and her accent was unmistakably Troi's. "I've been studying this woman, and I can replicate her easily. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to take down the _Hercules_, because they aid those bastards that destroyed all we had back on our Earth."

Kelner smiled and said, "Good. Get underway immediately. The sooner we do that, the sooner we can get that planet in our clutches. Then, while the Federation is busy with feebly freeing that world..."

"We shall take back mine from those fools of a civilian government.," said Gul Dukat, in a loud voice.

"Yes! Once we have Cardassia, we can free those in prison that worked with the old Central Command and bring our forces fully into the fight. I know that there are many in the military who chafe under civilian rule, and would love the opportunity to overthrow Garek and his ruling council!"

Morden couldn't help but add, "So you want vengeance for Invidia, I take it?"

Gul Dukat rolled his eyes and replied snippily, "She was an enjoyable fling, but losing her isn't exactly bringing tears to my eyes. She was ruthless, but foolish and overconfident, and got the fate she deserved. I tried to warn her, but..."

Justin laughed and said, "Sounds like my ex-wife!"

Kelner walked around the desk with a cold smile, and said to all those assembled, "For the first time since we launched this campaign, I feel confident! But we must be careful, because my people are not ready yet. We know the Legendora are readying their own forces to combat us, so we need more time. Taking these two planets will go a long way to aiding our cause!"

Bester said, "All I want is the head of Hollifield, Sheridan, and Garibaldi. Give me this, and I'll do whatever you ask!"

"You shall have it, Bester. When this is all done, you'll have all the heads you want," said Kelner, who then dismissed the meeting.


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42**

**Bait and Switch**

**  
**

**Government Palace **

**Kressia, Bajor **

**October 21, 2377 **

**5pm**

Captain Riker and Commander Troi were walking back to their shuttle when they were ambushed by some Bajorans. "Freeze! You're coming with us," said one of the Bajoran terrorists. Riker tried to fight back, but was hit with a bolt from a PPG. It just stunned him, and he was able to watch as they injected something into his wife and knocked her out. She tried to fight back, managing to slap one of the terrorists. Riker tried to get up, but he was overcome by the impact of the PPG blast. He did however see, to his amazement, a piece of skin fall from the nose of one of the terrorists. Another of the terrorists looked at him, then spoke into a comm link. "Free Mars," he said, and they were beamed away.

When Riker came to, he was in a medical facility. He saw Garibaldi handling that same piece of skin. Garibaldi noticed that Riker was awake and motioned to one of the Bajoran doctors. He came up to Riker's bedside, and held out the prosthetic. "Looks like that it wasn't the Bajorans who took your wife. We ran DNA traces over the crime scene, and couldn't find any recent samples. The path you two were on isn't traveled much, so you were out for a long time."

Tessa Halloran, the former Martian resistance fighter turned ISA intelligence chief, came into the room and informed Garibaldi of the latest. "Bajoran intelligence detected a Cardassian transporter signature near the crime scene, but we can't find any trace of Cardassian DNA at the scene."

Riker sat up and said in a pained voice, "The last thing I heard before passing out was one of the kidnappers say into a comm link, 'Free Mars'. Does that have any meaning?"

Halloran's face went blank, and Garibaldi looked at her curiously, "Look, I used to be in Free Mars, and we were radical and did some pretty stupid things. But even we wouldn't stoop to this level!"

Garibaldi interjected, "I doubt it'd be them anyway. I mean, why? Mars is an independent member of the Earth Alliance now, and Hollifield has worked to get us even more independence from the EA. It's not in their best interest."

Riker said, "Perhaps it's not someone from your universe?"

Halloran said, "Nah, they said it for a reason. They had to have. That's why they didn't kill you, because they wanted us to hear it."

Garibaldi walked around, deep in thought, finally making his way to the window. "The question is, why grab Troi? What does it mean? We pretty much can eliminate Free Mars, because (a) they don't have a motive and (b) why grab Troi when there are much more valuable targets to the EA to grab, like me for example. The Bajorans wouldn't do it, because why use a Cardassian transporter for the job to frame them right now?"

Halloran mused, "Could it be a Cardassian splinter group, unhappy with the current government?"

Riker replied, "It's possible. But I doubt it, because a Bajoran high-ranking official would be more valuable to them. And why would they want to mess with the Federation?"

Garibaldi turned back to the two of them and said, "It's not them either, although they could have helped. Someone made Troi a target for a specific reason."

Odo came into the room and walked up to Garibaldi. Without saying a word, he handed him something. Garibaldi looked at it and grunted, then showed it to Halloran and watched her face react in shock to the item. Odo rumbled, "Well, we have an idea who it is."

"Yeah, we do, and I have an idea who dropped this. C'mon, we've got to let Riker get some rest.," said Garibaldi, who left with Odo and Halloran. Riker lay back down on the bed, with a worried look on his face.

**Aboard a Cardassian shuttle**

** 9pm**

Deanna Troi was lying on her cot inside her cell, trying to remain calm and focused. Her Starfleet training was being put to the test right now, and she tried to figure out how to get out of here. The first duty of a prisoner is to escape was the first lesson she learned in dealing with being taken prisoner, but escaping a spaceship not on a world would be difficult indeed. So she focused on the second duty: gaining as much intelligence as you can, even if it seems irrelevant.

The door opened to her cell, and two human guards came in and grabbed her, practically dragging her with them. From the way her head felt, she could tell that they were telepaths, but certainly not Betazoid. They brought her into a room and sat her down forcibly into a chair and restrained her.

What she saw next almost made her faint from shock, because she saw what looked like herself staring at her with a sinister grin.

"Well, look at what the cats dragged in! You have no idea as to why you are he, do you, my dear Deanna? Well, all will be revealed soon enough. Not that you can do anything about it. You see, I intend to take your place aboard your ship, at the side of your husband. Making love to him,because I want my fringe benefits. However, I need your help to do my job. You don't really have an option, because I am a much more powerful telepath than you ever could hope to be. I was rated P12 back when there was a Psi Corps, and I intend to use my abilities to help bring down our enemies.

"Now just sit back, relax, because I'm coming into your mind!"

Troi jerked back as the full force of the scan hit her, and she screamed aloud in pain as Falkia probed deeply into her mind. Falkia was tempted to rip her mind apart, but she was a disciplined soldier, and Bester's orders were to leave her as she found her. She didn't scan her gently, though.

After a long time, Falkia exited her mind, and had all the memories and personality traits she needed to complete her task. Troi collapsed in the chair, only being held up by the restraints. Falkia ordered the guards to take her back to her cell, then sat down in another chair,  
rubbing her temple.

"How did it go," asked Bester.

Falkia looked up and saw her mentor before her. "It went better than expected. She had no blocks to speak of in her mind. I have more than I need to complete my task."

"Good. We'll arrange for the shuttle to be detected and picked up by the Federation soon. We'll implant a device to fool the DNA scanners inside you to help you escape detection before you go. How much longer do you need to prepare?"

Falkia thought for a moment and then said, "Two more days to help my body get the proper stress of being kidnapped and to finish preparation. What will you do with Troi?"

Bester grinned and said, "Oh, I have plans for her!"


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43**

**Spider in the Web **

**  
**

**On board USS _Hercules_**

**October 27, 2377 **

**11am**

The runabout arrived in the shuttle bay and Riker impatiently waited for it to land. Two days before, some Cardassians on a military patrol came across the shuttle and managed to free Troi from her captors. The abductors had abandoned her on the shuttle, and the investigation of the shuttle's computer turned up nothing.

Troi stepped off the ramp and looked around. Riker walked up to her and Troi leapt into his arms. He kissed her passionately, not caring about showing affection for his wife. When they ended the kiss, he whispered to her, "Welcome home!"

"Thanks! It's been rough, but I'm generally ok. They treated me pretty well. I still don't know why they abducted me. Did they make any demands?"

Riker shrugged her shoulders and said, "Not really. Just some wild demands for Earth forces to leave Mars and such. For all we know, it might have been a prank."

Troi laughed, "Well, if it was, then they could have thought of a better one!" They made their way to sickbay, and Riker deliberately led her past a hidden Garrison Hollifield, who was around a corner.

Later that afternoon, Riker left his wife in sickbay and made his way to Hollifield's quarters. Hollifield let him in and Riker came to the point, "Is it her?"

"No, it's a Psi Corps agent. Angie Falkia, if I'm not mistaken. I searched the classified Psi Corps files I had, and she was the one that closely resembles Troi. My guess is that she had her features altered and some vocal implant inserted inside her to mimic her voice. Perhaps some EA black ops device that I haven't heard of. Perhaps some Federation tech that they stole. Who knows. So, how do you want to play this? Do you want to confront her now or play along to see where she takes this?"

Riker stroked his beard and said, "Let's see how this plays out. Besides, I think letting this play out will give us more time to find Troi."

"Ok. But when we do find the real Deanna, I'm going to have to scan her, because if I think who's behind this is doing what I think he might do, he might try to change her."

"You think this...Bester...would do something like that?"

"Will, this Bester drugged me up with enough crap to push me so far over the edge that I spooked the Vorlons. He put my life at risk to help the Corps produce telepaths, and he's killed so many for his precious Corps that he makes Adolf Hitler and Hiriam Tower look like nice guys. So if you don't think he wouldn't try to mess around with your wife's brain, think again. I hope it's not the case, but this has the feel of something that he'd do. He knows I'm a part of this, and he wants to do what he can to bring me down because of the Telepath War."

Riker nodded and sat down, putting his face in his hands. He took in a deep breath and blew it out, then said, "Can Lyta do anything for us?"

"No, she's busy with Picard and Anna Sheridan, helping the Borg and the technomages. As much as I hate to say this, Troi is expendable, and if it means losing her to beat the Ragendora..."

Riker nodded soberly, "Yeah, I know."

Hollifield walked over and patted Riker on the shoulder, saying, "We'll do whatever we can to find her, then make Bester pay for all of this. He's got a lot of bills that are past due, to say the least."

Riker's comm badge beeped, and he tapped it on his chest. "Sir, your wife is finished in sickbay and on her way back to your quarters. She asked you to join her there."

Riker said, "Thanks. I'll be there soon."

As Riker got up to leave, Hollifield quickly said, "Be careful when she makes love to you, because that's the best way for her to get into your mind."

Riker was caught up short. "You think I should?"

"I'll talk to Troi, the real Troi, about all of it when we find her. If you don't want to tell her, I can take out the memories from your mind..."

"No, I'll deal with it, but thanks for the offer. See you later, Garrison."

Hollifield nodded and said, "Good luck."

After Riker left, Hollifield turned to see his old friend Alwyn in the room. "You know, they can detect you."

Alwyn waved dismissively with his hand. "Bah! Let them! I do want my privacy. So you really think that Bester's behind this?"

"Yep. And I think the Ragendora are as well. Which is why I sent Dan Tanner to Betazoid."

"Why?"

"Because I think that's where they'll strike next."


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44**

**Springing the Trap **

**  
**

**On board USS _Hercules_**

** October 29, 2377 **

**8:30am**

"So that's what she's been up to," said Riker, clearly shocked that the woman portraying his wife was planting certain devices on several power couplings throughout the ship.

Alwyn kept the image from his probes up for the three of them, grimly looking through the rest of the data to see if he missed anything. "I think that's all of them. Now you must keep her occupied while we take care of her little presents she left for us!"

Riker went to meet his wife in the lounge while Hollifield and Alwyn aided an engineering team to disable the devices. The first was found inside a Jeffries tube, right next to a main power coupling from the warp core. One of the engineers whistled at the thought of what it would do if it went off. He scanned the device with a tricorder and was surprised to find that it was attached with a simple magnet. He detached the device and handed it to Hollifield, who used his telepathy to scan the device. "It's Shadow tech, all right.," he said as he handed the device to Alwyn. Alwyn made his own scans and confirmed the diagnosis. They went through the ship methodically and found all four-dozen devices.

"Can you disable them, Alwyn," Hollifield asked of his friend as they made their way through the ship to another device.

"Yes. It's no problem at all, which is why this plan worries me. It's too simple. Why go through the trouble of such an intricate plan and use such crude devices to do your dirty work?"

Hollifield mused, "Could it be that she didn't want to attract too much attention? I mean, these devices aren't that big. They pack quite a punch, but they're not bigger than a pen."

Alwyn nodded and thought some more. "Perhaps this is a feint and her real move is somewhere else. She's been on the computer quite a lot since she got on board, and hasn't taken any appointments in her office. That's understandable due to what had happened to her, if this were the real her, but why spend so much time on the computer?"

Hollifield had a thought, and he turned to one of the engineers. "Hey, Romanowski! Head back to main engineering and have them check the central computer for any possible programs that might look like an old computer virus. Don't put the request out on your comm badge, and keep this to people you implicitly trust. If you find anything, page Bahn here and she'll tell you where we are located. Got it?"

Romanowski nodded and hurried away back to engineering, and the rest continued throughout the ship to disable the devices.

Later that morning, Riker made his way into Hollifield's quarters and saw the pile of the devices on the desk. "She brought on board this many of these things," he said.

"Yes. But we've come to the conclusion that this was a feint. These devices could have still done damage, mind you, but this isn't the brunt of his attack. Your chief engineer found that she had uploaded a complex computer virus into the central core from your quarters while you slept. It's designed to go off in three days time, according to him.," Garrison stated.

"My God! How complex is it?"

Alwyn nodded and said, "Very. It's clearly Shadow tech. Apparently they've adapted a device they've used to take over a ship for their purposes to react like a computer virus. It's very clever work indeed, which leads me to believe that the Ragendora are behind this somehow."

Riker sat down heavily in a chair, then said, "What do you want me to do?"

That evening, Riker and Troi went to dinner in the dining hall aboard the ship. Riker got the idea from his friend, Captain Stephen Ashcroft of the Wildstar, and it had proven to be a huge hit with the crew. Replicators could only do so much, and the benefits far outweighed the costs. It wasn't a fancy romantic dinner, just a regular meal of chicken Parmesan, spaghetti, Rinaldi spinach casserole, breadsticks, and synthwine. They had a typical conversation about the goings-on of the crew and about life in general.

As they made their way back to their quarters, Riker focused on his beautiful wife, trying to keep his mind as blank as possible. They entered their quarters and embraced. "So what do you want to do tonight," Troi asked of her husband.

"Oh, I'll think of something. I'll surprise you," he said, smilingly.

"With what," Troi laughed.

"With us.," Hollifield said, as he and Alwyn came out of the bathroom.

"YOU," yelled out Troi, who brought out a device and started to press the button on it, but her thumb trembled and couldn't press down on the activator. Riker stepped to the side, not wanting to get in between Hollifield and Troi as the EA President hit the impersonator with a fugue. Hollifield walked slowly towards her and he reached out and removed the device from her hand, throwing it to the side. Riker picked it up and called security with his comm badge.

The faux Troi squeaked out as she tried to deflect the deep, penetrating scan, "The Corps is father, the Corps is mother!"

Hollifield replied through clenched teeth, "The Corps is dead! Who sent you? Was it Bester? Answer me, or I'll break you!"

Troi began to do multiplication tables in her mind, trying to fight off the attack, but it was no use. She collapsed to the ground and Hollifield stood over her, using his telepathy to dig deeper into her mind. "You can't win, you bastard! You may have ended the Corps, but you haven't stopped us yet! You...you...TRAITOR!"

"What are their plans, Falkia? What are they up to," yelled out Hollifield.

Falkia laughed coldly and said, "Next stop: Betazed. As for your precious wife, Riker, she's still with Bester. You do anything to me,  
and Bester will turn her into a vegetable!"

Hollifield then sent a strong suggestion into her mind to sleep and she soon was dozing away. Security didn't take any chances and beamed her into a cell. As she slept, the ship's doctor removed the cosmetic implants that made her look like Troi. The classic Greek features were there, but the result of the procedure showed a woman who looked similar to Troi, but not the exact duplicate.

When Falkia awoke, Riker and Hollifield interrogated her, but she held them at bay. She was irate that they had found the cyanide capsules she had in her uniform, because she wanted to deny them the ability to interrogate her. It was then that Riker did something that he clearly didn't want to do.

"Do whatever you have to do to get the information, Mr. President. Whatever happens, I'll cover it up for you!"

Hollifield nodded and waited until Riker left the room. He activated a acoustic dampening field, which helped to keep anyone outside from hearing the screams as Hollifield deep scanned Falkia. When he was done, Falkia still was herself, but she was a sweaty mess. Her vital signs were all over the place, and she had collapsed in a heap beside the bed.

Hollifield looked at her passed out body with no emotion whatsoever. He hated to do what he did, but he also knew that he had no choice.

**On board _Drogal_, Cardassian cruiser **

**October 30, 2377**

** 2am**

Deanna Troi was crying in a heap on the floor, not caring anymore to try to put on a brave face. She'd had her mind violated before, but never like this. Never this brutally, and she found that she didn't know if she was her real self anymore. They had allowed Bester to work her over and implant thoughts, ideas, and images into her mind. She felt like she was being programmed, but for what purpose she did not know.

Bester came back into the room, and Deanna scurried away from him, frightened like an animal. Bester's smile was predatory, and he spoke softly to her. "They found my Falkia. Too bad. I really liked her. But that damn Hollifield just had to be on board. No matter, though. You, my dear Deanna, will be my real revenge"


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter 45**

**The Siege of Betazed **

**  
**

**The Darnellian Foothills **

**Betazed **

**November 1, 2377 **

**7pm**

Dan Tanner and the Rangers that were with him laid down a trail of phaser fire to take out as many Jem'Hadar soldiers as they could,  
allowing for the officials in the Betazed government, as well as many others as they could, head to the caverns that the Rangers had secretly prepared just in case the enemy struck before they were ready. Marcus Cole was with him as they retreated back to the caverns, triggering a massive landslide of boulders thanks to some carefully placed explosives from Captain Susan Ivanova.

"Looks like the President's instincts were correct. They attacked earlier than we thought they would, but at least we were ready for them.  
I just wish we could have gotten the Whitestars here earlier.," said Ivanova

Tanner replied, "They'll be here soon. The Jem'Hadar haven't set up a jamming screen for communications yet, so I'm still in contact with the President."

"Where's the _Hercules_," asked Marcus.

"They're on their way, along with _Yamato II_ and as many other ships that can be spared.," Tanner said as he noticed another Betazed race into the caverns.

"Mr. Tanner! They're massacring my people! Just taking people out in groups and shooting them down."

Tanner looked at Marcus and said, "We need to do something about this!"

Marcus looked at Ivanova and she nodded at him. "What do you have in mind?"

Around midnight, they made their way past a patrol of Jem'Hadar soldiers, taking them out with silenced PPGs and damaging any tracking systems they might have had. They made their way to the barracks, took out the guards, threw thermal grenades into them, and blew up several hundred Jem'Hadar straight to hell. All through the night, the threesome made their way to several barracks around the capital.

When they made their way back, they found several dead Jem'Hadar at the opening to the caverns. "Did we take any casualties," asked Tanner.

"No, sir. We managed to see them on their way in and got the rest deeper into the cavern. But we don't know how much more we can take of this. Supplies will start running low within the next few days, so we need something to happen soon."

All of a sudden, Dan Tanner felt the atmosphere begin to change, and he watched as several jump points began to form in the sky. Calmly, he turned and said to the others, "I do believe that the cavalry has arrived."

On board Whitestar 331, Garrison Hollifield led the attack on the ships that were on the ground. The Whitestars struck hard and fast, destroying each Jem'Hadar ship with brutal efficiency. They landed and began to dispatch Marines and Minbari warrior caste troops. The Jem'Hadar had went straight for the capital, and their troops were spread thin. Having known this, Hollifield and Tanner had come up with a plan to thin out their forces and take them out in one fell swoop.

"Sir, we're being hailed by the _Hercules_," said the Ranger stationed at the comm station.

The screen came down, and the visual of Captain Riker came up. "Mr. President, we've taken out the main ships and are mopping up the rest. It seems like this was easier than we thought."

"Yeah, and that's what worries me."

Riker looked puzzled and said, "What do you mean?"

"Why launch a full scale siege with so few troops, knowing we wouldn't need that many troops to clear them out?"

Riker was about to answer, when he got another hail. This one was from Admiral Marchand, and he patched it through to Hollifield so he could join in. "Captain, Mr. President. We've just gotten word. The Cardassian homeworld is under attack from rebellious forces loyal to the old Central Command, and it looks like some Jem'Hadar have joined them."

"Damn, I had a feeling about this. What do you need us to do, Admiral," said Hollifield.

"Right now, we need you to stay at Betazed to make sure the Jem'Hadar don't come back. We're sending the Wildstar and several other ships, including Klingons and Romulans, to try and stamp out the attack. We may arrive too late, though."

**On board _Drogal_, Cardassian cruiser **

**November 3, 2377 **

**11am**

"Looks like the attack is well underway. Any news on the civilian government," asked Bester.

Gul Dukat was annoyed at the question, but didn't bite back like he normally would. He quickly found out that Bester had no compunction to turn someone's brain into jelly when they crossed him. "We'll find them, in time. In a way, it's better this way, because we can stamp out any resistance to our rule before the Federation can react. They're still busy with Betazed. It's a shame to sacrifice so many troops in vain, but they look to have taken the bait."

Bester tapped the table with his closed left fist. "Indeed. And we're almost ready to reintroduce Troi to her husband, too. I've still got a little work to do on her, but she'll be ready when the Tholian freighter arrives. Blaming this on the Tholians is a brilliant piece of work, Dukat."

Gul Dukat inclined his head and smiled. "I have no use for those people, so setting them up doesn't bother me in the least. I even have plans for those Breen, but those plans will have to wait until we have taken back my world. Which shouldn't take long."

Bester left the room with a nod and went back to the cell where Troi was. She was curled up in the corner, with bloodshot eyes and dampened hair. He dropped a fresh uniform down on the table and spoke to her. "Get showered and changed. You'll be meeting your husband again soon, and you'll be happy again. But before you do, we have to make sure certain people can't detect my handiwork."

He left the room and Deanna slowly got up from the floor. She went into the shower stall and washed up, then put on the uniform. When she was done, Bester came back into the room, but before he could do anything else, she was beamed out of the cell.

"No! Bester to bridge! They've just beamed out the prisoner!"

The ship was shaken by a blast from a beam from the Freedom, and shield power quickly drained. The ship was ordered to warp, and managed to escape before the Freedom could destroy it with her main weapon.

Captain Hudson headed down to the makeshift transporter room with the med team. "Doc, is she ok?"

"Not sure.," said Dr. Tomas Salo. "Her brainwaves are all over the place. I think she's been scanned recently by a powerful telepath."

"Get her to medlab, stat. I'll contact Starfleet and tell them the good news.," Hudson stated. She then walked back onto the bridge, and walked up to the person who had helped them find Troi.

"Good work, Ms. Alexander. Thank you for your help.," Hudson said to Lyta Alexander.

"No problem. When she's up to it, I want to check her to see if Bester has done anything to her. I'll be careful, though, because I can imagine that she wasn't exactly treated with kit gloves by Bester."

Hudson nodded and gave instructions to her crew, "Prepare to jump to Deep Space 9. Jump when we're ready."

The ship opened up a jump point and vanished into the vortex. Inside the ship, Deanna Troi was asleep, but the nightmares haunted her. She kept seeing Bester in her dreams, laughing at her. All she wanted to do was to get back in the arms of her husband and feel safe. But she worried that she was going to betray him, and that made the nightmares even worse.

She woke up and began to cry. The doctor came over and said in a soft, comforting voice, "Hey, hey, hey! It's alright! You're safe now!"

The tears flowed anyway.


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter 46**

**Garak's Brave Stand **

**  
**

**The tunnels in the old capital, Cardassan  
**

**Cardassia Prime **

**November 5, 2377**

Garak heard the footsteps of many a Jem'Hadar soldier overhead, and he gulped nervously. He tried his best to swallow his fear, but it choked him like bile in his throat. He managed to calm himself and follow his security detail down further into the underground catacombs that hadn't been used in almost 3000 years. Rodents and other creepy, crawly things were about, and members of the civilian government, who were already shaken as it is, were rattled even further by the rough conditions. Part of Garak wanted to chide them for their timidity, but he held his tongue because these were truly brave people indeed.

In the six years since the end of the Dominion War, and the fall of the military regime that governed Cardassia as a member of the Dominion, Garak had worked hard to bring about the civilian government, and he had become the reluctant leader of his people. He had already survived a number of assassination attempts, but this was the first time that a part of the military had sought to regain what was once theirs.

Garak did have his own officers that were loyal to him, and his own general staff was meeting in a cleaned out room that, ironically enough, was where a coup against the former emperor was once plotted out. That one worked and Garak secretly hoped that the reverse would happen this time.

Gul Dren came into the room and reported the latest on the resistance to the coup. "Garak, we've been able to push the enemy back out of the upper level of the tunnels by attacking their rear. The civilian militia has helped to blunt the attack, but we've taken massive casualties. I'm not sure how much longer we can hold out, though. We've had reports that the enemy were landing more troops outside the capital."

Sharek Dreal, Garak's chief of staff, came to his side and said, "Perhaps we should consider leaving the planet and set up the resistance there. Several members are away right now, and we could join them."

Garak's decision came quickly. "No. If we are going to beat this enemy, we can't run from them! If they want me and the rest of the government,they'll have to come and get us. If I have to die to save this government, so be it. I'm sick of running away from death!"

A massive blast shook the room, and cries came of a breach in the tunnels. The generals grabbed their gear and headed down deeper into the tunnels, along with the civilian government, only to be met with deadly fire from enemy troops who had made their way through the other side of the tunnels. Garak used his scanner to seek another tunnel, but could only see more troops headed his way.

The rest took out whatever weapons they had and went to the back of the biggest room they had, but not after they had barricaded the doorway with whatever they could find. Garak knew that they would not survive what was to come, but he admired their bravery as they stood firmly beside him with weapons drawn.

He heard phaser fire ripping at the hinges of the massive doors, and it wasn't long until the doorway fell forward. The troops made quick work of the barricades and soon were positioned in front of the last of the resistance fighters. No one fired, though, as Gul Dukat came forward and spoke to the members of the civilian government.

"This is the end. If you surrender, I assure you that you'll be well treated before you executions. At least have the sense to die with some decency," said Dukat in a patronizing voice.

Garak pointed his phaser at Dukat and said, "I'd rather die here than at the gallows. If you're going to do this, Dukat, get it over with!"

Dukat smiled, stepped away, and said, "So be it!" He signaled for his troops to open fire, and, while his own forces took some casualties, the civilian government was dispatched in short order. When it was done, Dukat walked over to the body of Garak, reared back his right leg, and kicked him hard in the stomach. Then he laughed and said, "You fools!Cardassia is for the strong! Cardassia will rise again and rule this galaxy, thanks to the Ragendora! When I am done, you bastard, they will remember my name for centuries to come. As for you, you will just be a sad footnote in the history books!"

Dukat walked out of the room and told the troops to bring out the bodies. Later in the day, they were publicly displayed on the walls of the government palace. He sipped his wine as he looked out and saw the body of Garak being pecked at by Cardassian vultures, called vrial. To him, Cardassian justice had been served, and if several thousand people had to die for it, so what? All he knew was that he was elated to be back as ruler of his people!


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter 47**

**The Great Enemy Makes Itself At Home **

**  
**

**Aboard Alwyn's technomage ship**

** In orbit over Cardassia Prime **

**November 8, 2377**

"My God! Are those Ragendoran ships," said Hollifield.

"Looks like it. I see plenty of Cardassian ships and Jem'Hadar fighters, but the sheer number of those ships...," replied Dan Tanner, who was running his own scans in his positronic brain.

Alwyn was deep in concentration, scanning the various probes that other technomages had left there. The technomages had gone there and planted their microscopic probes all over the place, and the enemy had yet to detect them and rid themselves of the probes. "They must have been planning this all along. I've spotted thousands of Jem'Hadar troops, and they've enslaved most of the local Cardassians to serve them."

"There's no way we can beat this fleet with the ships we have now, or can get from the other universes. We have to meet with the Legendora and try and speed up things if we can. Alwyn, with the size of that fleet, they could strike at any time."

"I know. That's why we've been working with the Borg. If we can harness their technology and adapt it, it could help give us an advantage until the Legendoran ships come online."

Dan Tanner looked over the readouts from the data screens that Alwyn had installed in his ship. "What we need are some people to get onto the planet and get some intelligence on the ground. We'll have to ask the Circle to see if they want to send technomages, and if they don't, I'll bloody well give them a piece of my mind."

"I agree. We need to have another meeting of the minds to figure out what to do next. However, we may need someone on the ground.," said Hollifield.

"I can go. My skin can be adapted to look Cardassian and I know the world...," Tanner said.

"I would ask you, Dan, but I don't want to lose a valuable resource. Let's head towards Bajor and ask General Kira about how we should proceed. Perhaps some members of the old Bajoran resistance would want to help us out, since they did such yeoman's work during the Cardassian occupation."

Tanner nodded his head, "Very wise, Mr. President. My offer is still on the table, should you have need of it."

"I know, Dan. I may have to make use of it after all. Let's see what other resources we can come up with first. Alwyn, I think we should head out, jump at the edge of the system, and get back to DS9."

Alwyn sighed and said, "You're right. I don't think they can detect us, but I don't want to risk it. Besides, we need to get new supplies anyway." He directed his ship to head out beyond a moon, and had the ship jump to hyperspace where the enemy's sensors could not detect the vortex.

When they arrived at DS9, they asked for an immediate meeting with command staff as well as the heads of the Bajoran militia. When they showed them the intelligence they had gathered, the Bajoran government began to prepare for an attack. First Minister Sharini Vartak was sobered by the news, but her resolve was unshaken as she was one of the main leaders of the resistance years before when the Cardassians occupied Bajor. She gave Hollifield a list of those who she felt might be willing to aid the cause.

Days later, a ship from the demilitarized zone between the Federation and Cardassia showed up. A Bajoran woman showed up and asked to see General Kira, accompanied by a human male.

"Ro Laren, you are wanted by the Federation for desertion and dereliction of duty, but the Federation hereby waves those charges for your volunteering for this mission. The same goes for your companion, Thomas Riker.," said General Kira, who had to temper her glare towards Will Riker's 'brother'. During a bizarre transporter accident years before, Will Riker was beamed out from a hostile planet, and he was 'copied' by the transporter pad on the surface. Years later, he was discovered by Will Riker and entered Starfleet, only to rebel and join the Maquis, who were resisting Cardassian occupation due to a peace treaty with the Federation. While the Cardassians had eventually given back those worlds, the resentment still held.

Kira remembered when Tom Riker hijacked the original Defiant and took it into Bajoran space to expose a secret fleet being assembled by the Obsidian Order, the former secret government organization that acted like a secret police. The Cardassian military had captured Tom Riker, but he was secretly freed by, of all people, Gul Dukat, for services rendered.

Tom Riker had met Ro Laren when she bolted Starfleet and joined the Maquis. They fell in love and had been companions for years. They had wanted to settle down and have children, but the combination of Riker being infertile and the fates controlling their lives, they had accepted their role in the greater scheme of things.

Will Riker entered the room and glared at his 'brother'. He still had some issues to resolve with Tom, but that would have to wait until later. Other volunteers entered the room, but Dan Tanner had elected to stay with the president. He would train the volunteers in the holodecks on board the Hercules.

Before the broke up their first meeting, Hollifield introduced the final member of their group. Lyta Alexander entered the room, and Hollifield said to the group, "A powerful telepath like Lyta will be essential to your group, but she doesn't know that much of the Cardassians. Therefore, all of you who know about them will help teach her what to expect. She will be an invaluable ally to your cause."

The rest of the group nodded their heads, and he could feel something that touched him: acceptance for Lyta. He knew that this world was different from his own, and to see that telepaths were embraced, and not rejected, in this universe was a good sign indeed.


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter 48**

**_Yamato_ Interregnum **

**  
**

**Babylon 5 Space Station **

**April 24, 2271**

Derek Wildstar looked out of the window in the Observation Dome, home of the command and control center of Babylon 5, and saw the ship he commanded, the EDS _Yamato_, being swarmed by maintenance bots from the station. They were installing new hull plating on the ship, courtesy of the Legendora. Other ships, including the _Wildstar_, _Freedom_, _Excalibur_, _Enterprise-E_ and _Yamato II_, were also being refitted with the new technology. Their weapons systems as well as their energy reactors were being upgraded, and it seemed that the Legendora were also fitting on advanced communications equipment as well.

He had been working yeoman's hours to assist in the refit, but that was Sandor's specialty, so when Wildstar said that he was going to take a break and head over to the station, it seemed that his science officer's reaction was a little too enthusiastic to him. Instead of being mad about it, he chuckled and took off for the station for some well-earned shore leave.

Captain Elizabeth Lochley came into the dome, which served as the station's bridge. She walked up to Wildstar, who was leaning against the railing behind the main station, where Commander Moriyama was quietly assisting ships into the docking bay via the central computer.

"So what do you think of the place, Captain," she asked.

"Busy, that's for sure. I'm not sure if I could handle being in charge of a place like this. It's hard enough commanding the _Yamato_, let alone dealing with a quarter of a million civilians."

Lochley nodded her head and replied, "It's a challenge, but it's very fulfilling, in its own way. Sheridan commanded this place in a very turbulent time, and his experiences sort of make the last nine years seem mild in comparison. That's not to say we haven't had more than our fair share of crises here."

They soon made their way from the Blue Sector into the Red Sector, where they met Nova Forrester in the Zocolo, the main shopping center on board the station. Activity aboard the station was busier than usual, as people were still celebrating the fact that Earth had been saved from the Drakh plague. Wildstar tried not to notice, but he couldn't help but spot the shorter skirts and skimpier outfits that the Human women were wearing these days. However, his own love looked sleek in her tight-fitting uniform, while Lochley didn't look bad at all for a woman in her late 40s. _Hell_, he thought, _she'd put women half her age to shame_!

He shook his head and got back to the real world. They had exited the Zocolo and made their way into a transport tube. They soon were in Green Sector, and walking through the massive open space inside the station, called the Garden. It was here where most of the hydroponics and oxygen reclamation was taking place, as the interior of the main habitat module was covered with grasses and woodlands. There was limited farmland and woodlands, as well as a hedge maze, mosque, Zen garden, artificial lakes, and the main business district, where the commander of the station had her offices. Next door to the office was the War Room, which was their current destination.

President Hollifield had gone back to Earth, but his senior aide, Dan Tanner, had stayed behind to act as a liaison. With him, to the chagrin of Lochley, was Lyta Alexander, who studied the maps of the Cardassian Union that had been compiled with the help of the technomage Alwyn. ISA President John Sheridan, however, was there, and he looked displeased at what he saw.

"How the hell do we break through that defense perimeter around Cardassia? They must have...what?...a thousand? two thousand?...ships orbiting the planet.," said Sheridan.

Tanner calmly commented, "It'll be difficult, but the advanced weaponry we're getting from the Legendora will help. Their adaptability is impressive, to say the least."

Sheridan nodded his head and went silent again, and Lochley could tell that her former husband was deep in thought as to how to tactically approach the problem. Back when he was in Earthforce, he had gained a reputation of being able to take a tenable defensive situation and turning it into an effective offensive opportunity. Winning the Shadow War as well as freeing Earth from the fascist Clark regime had only garnished that reputation, and Sheridan's methods were already being heavily incorporated in the Earthforce Academy curriculum.

Wildstar asked aloud, "What's our next move?"

Sheridan sighed and replied, "That's to be decided. With this new development, we have much to discuss. Delenn is working with Emperor Mollari on a peace treaty with the Narn and helping the surviving Narn with their new homeworld on Volans. The Narn fleet is still relatively intact, and they are sending a few ships at a time, along with Centauri ships, to be refit with Legendoran technology. The other ISA worlds are sending whatever ships they can spare here, and all the Whitestars are scheduled for refit in the next few weeks."

Lochley added, "_Yamato_'s refit will be complete in three months' time. The new wings and additional engines, along with the new main guns, are going to take some time to complete. The new fighter bays will accommodate not only the Black Tiger and Cosmo Zero squadrons, but the Thunderbolts that Earthforce have given to _Yamato_. Normally, this station would not be able to do such a complete overhaul, but the Legendora have made it a top priority and have sent us an orbital dry-dock to help."

Commander Moriyama came into the War Room and walked to the gathered officials at the round table, stating when she got there, "We've just received word that the Borg ships will be coming through Sector 14 soon. Draal says that he expects them to be here within the next 24 hours. How many they'll send through is unknown, because they've been busy with their own refits as well on the Borg homeworld.

"Also, Ashcroft just returned aboard _Hercules_ and will arrive here shortly with Riker."

Sheridan asked, "How's his wife doing?"

Alexander interjected, "Deanna Troi was violated by Bester, and we don't know all the damage that's been done to her. According to my scans, it looks like she may have a sleeper program deep inside her mind, much like Talia Winters did. President Hollifield has requested that she be brought to Earthdome for treatment. As much as I hate to admit it, he's more powerful than I am and his abilities can do more to help her out than I can. Besides, the Borg will need me to assist them when they arrive."

Lochley's link beeped, and she answered it. "Lochley, go."

Lt. Waltrip spoke on the link, in a voice that sounded like trouble."Captain, we have ships coming through the time rift in Sector 14. They're not the Borg, or any Federation ships. According to the tracking system, they look to be Earth passenger cruisers."

Lochley shook her head, perplexed at the message. "Have you hailed them yet?"

"Confirmed, Captain. They sent back just two words: 'Remember Byron'. I think you know what that means, don't you?"

"It can't be him! He's dead," said Lyta Alexander.

Sheridan added, almost automatically, "So was Marcus, and we know how that turned out."


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter 49**

**Enter Byron, Enter Talia **

**  
**

**Earth Alliance Metasensory Research Center **

**Geneva, Switzerland, Earth **

**May 1, 2271**

Major Susan Ivanova walked with President Garrison Hollifield inside the halls of what was once the main research facility of the Psi Corps. They were in Teeptown, the village where telepaths were first brought to upon discovery or birth to be trained and live away from regular people, or normals, as the teeps called them. Under their breath, some telepaths called normals "mundanes", but the current director had set a policy where any teep found calling a normal by that slur would be subject to a fine. Not surprisingly, no telepath had yet to be fined under said policy.

Deanna Troi was being treated for sustaining a massive neural invasion. Her mother, Betazed Ambassador Lwaxana Troi, was with her, holding her hand and gently sending messages to her. Hollifield could pick them up in his own mind as if she were voicing them from her mouth, but he mentally walled himself against it so as to stick to business.

The ambassador stood up as she noticed the two of them coming into the room. "Is there any news on her condition," she asked.

"It's what we were afraid of. From the scans they made, it appears that the former Psi Cop, Alfred Bester, has planted something deep inside her. Or, rather, many things. We're not sure about all he's done to her. For all we know, he may have implanted a sleeper personality inside of her that, when she _p'hears_ the right word..."

Lwaxana Troi looked puzzled and asked, "I'm sorry, but what is '_p'hear_'?"

Hollifield paused and said, "P'hear means to hear a message from another telepath in your brain, or to hear the thoughts of someone else. We had this problem years ago with a telepath named Talia Winters..."

**Flashback 2259**

Susan Ivanova had entered what were once the quarters of her old friend, and hoped-to-be lover, Talia Winters, expecting to find some shred of the person she once knew. The new Talia destroyed that hope with a blunt speech:

_"Always the romantic. The program is complete. The Talia you knew no longer exists. There's just me. .. You don't know what it's like living only in the shadows of her mind, watching, laughing at all of you out here: foolish, petty, stupid. There I was, trapped inside, able to come out only at night when she was asleep. Her invisible sister. And you believed everything she said to you, all the things you wanted to hear, all the words I whispered in her thoughts while she lay sleeping, the words that would get her closer to you .. and to what you knew. You should see the look on your face .. my good .. and dear friend Susan."_

To this day, that image had haunted her. Slowly but surely, she was falling for the blonde in the crisp, tight Psi Corps uniform. She had come to her quarters one night, after Bester had been fooled into thinking that the rogue telepaths that Dr. Stephen Franklin had been smuggling into and out of the station were all dead, with a couple of glasses and a bottle of wine. That had been the start of her feelings for Talia, and those feelings had been crushed when Lyta Alexander had sent the psychic password she'd discovered for the hidden sleeper agent into Talia's brain.

**Back to present**

Susan Ivanova shook off the thoughts of Talia and concentrated on the moment itself. Deanna Troi was waking up, and she twisted and turned in her bed. She opened her eyes and looked at Ivanova. She smiled and Ivanova returned the smile. Deanna's mind was foggy, and she thought it might be the drugs they were using on her. She laid back and turned to see her mom.

"Good morning, Mother.," she said softly.

Lwaxana's eyes misted as she replied, "Good morning, child!"

One of the doctors came in and did a brief scan of Deanna, checking her condition. The doctor nodded and placed a device on Deanna to assist him in the scan. He did it without saying a word, and then left after just a few moments.

The three didn't think much of the device, and Hollifield asked Lwaxana if she'd like to take a break and come down to his office to talk. They left, and Ivanova stayed briefly, looking back at Deanna. Deanna smiled and nodded, and Ivanova returned the gesture, then turned to leave. Just then, the device spoke one word, in a familiar voice: "carnival".

Ivanova noticed whose voice that was and turned to see what was going on, but Deanna Troi leapt up and grabbed her, hitting the device. They were beamed out of the office and onto a strange ship. Ivanova tried to get up, but Deanna had a death grip on her.

Bester walked up to them, saying, "Well done, Deanna! Now we have our bargaining chip!"


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter 50**

**Fulfilling the Bond **

**  
**

**Presidential Suite, Earthdome **

**Geneva, Switzerland **

**May 2, 2271**

President Garrison Hollifield was pissed. He wanted to ring the neck of whoever was responsible for beaming out Ivanova from the medical facility in Teeptown. He knew who had to be behind it, and he had special plans for dealing with him.

"Ok, I want to know what happened and I want to know it now! It doesn't exactly strike me well to have my head of security beamed out of what is supposed to be a secure facility and not be able to find out where they took her.," demanded Hollifield.

Riker remained calm as he said, "We think she may be aboard a cloaked ship with shields up, so life signs would be difficult to detect. Is there any other way to find her?"

Garibaldi chimed in and said, "Back when I was on the station, we had a VIP from Earthdome that was on the run from Internal Affairs. He had secrets about Clark, if I remember correctly. I know that we had to get him off station because all Earthdome personnel have a data crystal that emits a low level signal that can be detected by internal sensors. It's possible that we could detect it externally, especially since the _Hercules_' sensors are more powerful than anything we have."

Hollifield nodded and then tapped a comm link on his desk. "Get Mulroney up here and get him to assist Capt. Riker in tracking down the coded signal from Ivanova's data crystal."

"Confirmed sir. I'll track him down ASAP.," toned in his secretary.

About an hour later, Hollifield was alone in his office after the meeting. He looked out his window and reflected back to the promise he made to Ivanova's late brother.

**Flashback **

**Earthforce Base **

**Fort Eisenhower Spaceport**

**March 22, 2247**

Commander Ganya Ivanov had just rushed out from a meeting with his sister when Captain Garrison Hollifield ran up to him as he was heading to his ship. "Ganya! Wait! I just wanted to wish you luck on your mission!"

"Thanks, man! Listen, can you do something for me if I don't make it back?"

"Anything, Ganya. Anything for an old friend like you!"

"If I don't make it back, keep an eye out for my sister. She'll hate you for it, but she needs someone to keep an eye out for her."

"You've got it, buddy! Now, go out there and take down those Minbari for me!"

Ganya saluted and hustled aboard his ship, which took off moments later. Hollifield watched as it ascended into the sky, and he wiped some tears from his eyes. He knew that his friend wouldn't make it back from his mission.

Weeks later, the inevitable happened and Hollifield had asked to be the one to deliver the news to Ivanova. He waited for her at her residence hall, ignoring the stares from the college students at him in his uniform. He p'heard some rather vulgar comments, as college campuses tended to be very anti-war, going back to the Vietnam conflict of the 1970s.

When Ivanova walked up to him in the lobby of her residence hall, she asked him why he was there. When he said he wanted to talk to her in her room, she knew then what had happened, but she hoped that he was just injured and not dead. When Hollifield broke the news to her with tears in his eyes, she tried to hold it in for a moment, but her emotional damn cracked apart and she fell onto his shoulders crying her eyes out.

To that very day, Hollifield had been able to protect Ivanova for the most part. He had to be subtle about it, not because he wanted to avoid notice, but also not to offend the person he protected. He wasn't always successful, but he did keep her from being transferred from Babylon 5 after the assassination of President Santiago.

**Back to present**

Later that night, Hollifield was summoned back to his office by his chief of staff. His worst fears had been confirmed, and more were added on as he saw Alfred Bester on the monitor, standing beside Deanna Troi and behind a seated, and restrained, Susan Ivanova.

"Greetings, Mr. President. I'll make this brief. If you want Ivanova back, all you have to do is restore the Psi Corps, name me as its director, and resign as president. You can't say that I don't ask for much.," Bester said with a sinister smile on his face.

"As God as my witness, Bester, if you harm her, I'll kill you with my bare hands," Hollifield said with anger in his voice.

Bester remained unfazed. "I'm sure Garibaldi wishes the same thing. And I know that the _Hercules_ is trying to track us, so if they try to beam us out, I'll give both Ivanova and Troi a massive stroke, killing them both. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

Hollifield knew what would happen if he resigned. Bester would find a way to control the new president and try to bring about the final conflict between normals and telepaths. He knew that Ivanova would understand if he had to sacrifice her to protect Earth and its citizens from that. Her hatred for the Corps ran deep, and he knew it would destroy her if he resurrected the agency that helped force her mother to commit suicide.

Ivanova said nothing, as she was gagged as well as bound, but he could read her face like a book. She didn't want him to give in, and if the cost of resistance was her life, then so be it. What he saw was not fear in her eyes, but resolution and determination.

It didn't help ease what he was about to say. "It is policy to not deal with terrorists, and I won't do so here. We'll find you Bester, and we'll bring you to justice."

"Justice? I'll show you justice, Mr. President," he said coldly, then turned to two of his associates and commanded them to bring her to the airlock. He also instructed the camera to follow, and Hollifield knew then what Bester was doing.

When they arrived at the airlock, the two associates threw her into the airlock, closed the inner doors, and stepped back. Ivanova got up and stood in the lock, but did not show any emotions. She knew she was about to die, and she wanted to face it with courage.

"Last chance, Mr. President. Do what I ask, or Susan dies.," said Bester.

"No.," said Hollifield.

Bester smiled, opened the door, and Troi walked in as well, with a smile on her face. "Still want me to press the trigger? Troi isn't under your command, and how will you be able to face Riker if you kill his wife?"

"I'll worry about that when time comes, but I'm sure he'll understand. The answer is still no."

"Suit yourself, Mr. President. You can't stop me from my mission. Sooner or later, I'll have your head. But for now...," Bester stopped talking and pressed the space doors.

For a brief moment, Ivanova felt the vacuum, but she soon saw the rippling lights of a transporter beam around her. Moments later, she was on board the _Hercules_. "You'd better sedate her, because she's been programmed by Bester. "

Riker nodded and said to the medtechs who were wrestling with Troi, "Put her under!" They did so and soon they were taking the captain's wife back to sick bay.

Ivanova followed and was checked out by the doctor. Aside from a little frostbite, she was fine, having only been exposed to the full vacuum of space for a few seconds.

Bester clapped his hands and smiled at the President. "Good move, Garrison! But this is far from checkmate! We will meet again!" Bester then ended the transmission.

Bester sighed and walked out of the room. He was met in the hallway back to his quarters by a blond woman wearing a tight-fitting uniform. "Pity he was so stubborn. I know you still have a thing for Ivanova."

Talia Winters smiled and said, "I'll have her in my bed soon enough, and she'll see the light. She's one of us whether she likes it or not. And so is that bastard, the president!"

"Ivanova can be broken and brought over to our side. Hollifield is a lost cause, thanks to the Vorlons. So we have only one option with him?"

Talia smiled and asked, "When do you want to kill him?"


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter 51**

**In The Shadow of The Assassins **

**  
**

**The House Chamber, Capitol Building **

**Washington, District of Columbia, American Consortium **

**May 8, 2271 **

**11am**

He knew it was coming. After he had finished addressing a joint session of the American Congress, he would be walking outside to a waiting limo to travel to the White House, where he would meet with the president of the American Consortium, Ronaldo Hernandez. He had sensed the assassins perched on the rooftops on the surrounding buildings, but said nothing. He didn't want to give anything away just yet.

"And so, we have given not only the world, but the galaxy itself, the precious gift of freedom, liberty, and democracy that began in Philadelphia so long ago. It has not been an easy process, and there have been plenty of leaders who have abused those gifts for their own personal gains. It was one of my predecessors, President Anwar Suliman, who said that freedom was ingrained in the genetic code of every being in the known universe, and it is our responsibility as statesmen and stateswomen to help people unlock that which is inside them."

His speech was going well with the crowd of Democrats, Republicans, Freedomists, Progressive Conservatives, and the other parties in American politics. Centuries ago, it was only a two-party system, but the triumph of the Freedom Party over the ruling Republicans and opposing Democrats in the 2020 Presidential elections led the way to the diversification of power in America. Professor Ravi Sarkesh had drilled that home to him in his American Political History class back at UNC ages ago, and he still could remember how funny it was to hear a man from Mumbai speak with a southern twang.

He ended the speech, turned to shake the hands of Vice President Nancy Steen and House Speaker Horatio Allison, and stepped down from the dais where many American presidents had given state of the union speeches over the near half-millennia of the former United States of America. The name was just an artifact of history, but the flag remained in the hallways of Congress, as the Earth Senate realized early on that America would never give up the Stars and Stripes.

It was a short walk to the Rotunda, then out the door and down the steps. He dropped his psychic walls and searched for the assassins. This time around, he didn't want to be caught off guard.

**Flashback Babylon 5 **

**July 22, 2263**

It was to be an historic day, but it ended in tragedy. ISA President John Sheridan had pledged to back Martian independence from Earth, and Hollifield had long vowed to follow through with that edict. Much to the chagrin of many politicos inside the Dome, he jammed through the Senate the Martian Independence Treaty, and he was here to sign it along with the Martian president, Shawn Fleming.

Fleming was a black man with a deep voice reminiscent of James Earl Jones and Kwazi Motabo, and his looks would have stolen plenty of women from the likes of Denzel Washington and Philip Montrose. He was, though, a devout husband and father, and his gravitas, compared by many to that of Martin Luther King Jr., had won him the presidency he now held.

They ascended the platform for the public signing of the treaty. Sheridan was there, along with Delenn. Hollifield was joined by his wife, Pamela, on the platform. After a brief speech by each dignitary, they signed copies of the treaty. Fleming stood up and walked towards the middle of the table to shake the hand of Hollifield. Pamela walked beside him to the center of the stage, as did Fleming's wife. The two dignitariess shook hands and posed for the cameras. It was then that Security Chief Zach Allen noticed a gun pointing at Fleming and Hollifield. He yelled out, "Gun!", and his team, along with presidential security,began to swarm towards the shooter. It would be too late though.

Hollifield stood there, and waited for the shot. He was tired, and he wanted to be freed of his responsibilities, so being killed in the line of duty was an honest way to go. However, his wife flew in front of him and took the PPG shot. She collapsed onto the stage, and he went down with her.

Chaos erupted, and the vice-president refused to leave his dying wife's side. Memories flashed in her head, and he could sense them in his mind...

Their first meeting after he had finally been given an assignment to a fighter squadron...their one night stand before the climatic Battle of The Line in the Minbari War...the reception at Earthdome for the 200 survivors of the Line...their wedding at DisneyWorld in Orlando...life in Geneva as he served President Santiago...the collapse of their marriage during Santiago's re-election campaign...their separation after the assassination of Santiago and his insistence that she go to Mars...their reunion when he became vice-president...their vow renewals on New Years Eve...

They rushed her into medlab, and Dr. Hobbs and her staff fought to save her life. Hollifield knew it was for naught. He saw her spirit standing beside the bed. He'd done only two other deathbed scans, both involuntary, so he didn't flinch when he saw the luminality open beside her.

She turned to see her on the table as the doctors raced to save her life. She shrugged and looked at her husband.

_I'm sorry. I wish I could stay, but I had to save your life._

_You knew I wasn't going to move, didn't you?_

_I know you've been depressed lately, even suicidal. Earth needs you, Garrison. That's partly why I saved you. The other reason is that I want you to live._

_Why?_

_Because you are a creature of destiny, Garrison, and you have to accept that. Please, make my sacrifice have meaning. Live and make Earth a better place for generations to come._

She smiled and walked to the luminality, turned and waved back at her husband, and then her body dissolved and spiraled into the doorway. She was gone.

**Back to present**

The shots came as he was halfway down the stairway. He knew it was coming, so he had worn a slim flak jacket underneath his clothes, and the snipers had went after his body. He shook from the impacts of the blast, but he didn't feel the plasma burn through the jacket and into his skin. The guards rushed around him and dragged him into the limo. Hollifield could feel several death rattles as the snipers kept shooting, but he was inside the limo, speeding away to a local hospital.

Secret Service agent Harrison Ross felt the president for wounds, only to find the flak jacket. "Sir, you knew it was coming?"

"Yeah, I had a sense that they might try something. And you can make damn sure I get to that hospital."

Ross flinched as Hollifield scanned him. When he was done, Hollifield said, "And after I get checked out there, we can go to the White House, where the President can give me his resignation."

"Sir?"

"I know he's behind it, and if he doesn't want me to rip his mind apart in the Oval Office, he'll be the soul of cooperation and fall on his sword, and take all the others involved in this plot with him."

After being checked out at George Washington University hospital, another motorcade was being assembled when the news broke of President Hernandez' suicide. He had shot himself when he found out that the assassination attempt had failed. The news nets were going wild. Hollifield shrugged and went back to Geneva, letting the Americans handle things themselves. He had bigger fish to fry.

The next day, he finally faced the media in a press conference. His press secretary looked like she hadn't slept in days, and she pretty much told him to address the media or she'd resign. So, he decided to meet the press and face the world.

The press conference was intense, as the reporters asked about every conspiracy theory imaginable. He deflected it to the investigative committee, headed up by his own handpicked people. After it was done, he went back to the presidential suite and collapsed onto a couch in the living room.

Ivanova looked in and asked, "Sir, are you going to be ok," Hollifield laughed and said jokingly, "Ask me that when I'm out of office. For now, I'm fine. It's just another day at the office."


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter 52**

**Imzadi Altered **

**  
**

**Aboard USS Hercules **

**November 22, 2377 **

**4am**

Lyta Alexander walked into the sickbay and saw Captain Riker standing beside his sedated wife. She had learned earlier that the first time that they had tried to revive Troi, she began to attack everything in site, and tried to take over the ship from the computer in sickbay. She didn't come close to succeeding, but it was clear that she had been changed. The ship's doctor could find nothing wrong with her, except for some heightened activity in the brain. So, as a last resort, Lyta Alexander had been asked to assist them.

She was joined by her newly returned beau, Byron. Riker glanced over at him cautiously, knowing about the story of his insistence for a homeworld for telepaths. Weeks earlier, he and his rogue telepaths had just showed up, thanks to the Legendora. As soon as he'd come on board, he had sought out Lwaxana Troi and asked about asylum for his rogues. The elder Troi put him off diplomatically and sent him to discuss matters with the Federation Council.

Lyta came up to him and asked, "I will try to be as gentle as I can, but I can't guarantee that getting at what Bester has programmed into her will restore her old self. Bester is well practiced at this, and I can only do so much."

Byron interjected, "Long ago, I was Bester's protégé, until I saw what kind of beast he was. It's a long story, but I learned that Bester thinks nothing of sacrificing normals, like you, Captain, or less powerful telepaths like Troi. He wants a war between our kind and your kind."

"But she's not human. She's Betazoid."

Byron scoffed, "Tell that to Bester and his kind. Like I said, he'll do anything he can to regain what he once had, and get vengeance on whomever he thinks has wronged him. If it means using your wife to get at the president and the government, then he'll do it and not think anything of it."

Lyta entered Troi's mind and soon found that Bester had not destroyed the original personality of Deanna, merely repressed it and contained it in a small part of her brain. She then encountered the installed personality, and found that Bester had been quite thorough in designing this new personality.

_So, it's you! Bester said I'd encounter you one of these days, Lyta. You know you can't win._

_You don't know what all I'm capable of. You have no idea of what the Vorlons did to me._

_(laughs mockingly) If you try to rip me out, I'll destroy Troi and turn her into a vegetable. Or, I might even leave her and just turn her against Riker. That would be sweet in itself. Oh, all the chaos I could do!_

_Yeah, you sound like something out of Bester's mind!_

_I'm not from Bester's mind. I'm from Talia's!_

_Huh? But..._

_They simply took the programming that they had installed in Talia and implanted it into me. It was a rush job, so it wasn't as thorough as it should have been, but I can do enough damage to turn Troi into a babbling buffoon, and there's nothing you can do about it!_

_Oh, but there is something I can do about it..._ and Lyta dug deep inside Troi's mind.

They had to restrain Troi as Lyta scanned deeply, but carefully. She took out the programming that Bester had put inside Troi's mind. The implanted personality slowly began to die, and the real Troi began to surface again. Lyta could feel the joy of freedom that the real Troi was experiencing again as she snipped away the last of Bester's programming.

Hours later, Troi opened her eyes, blinked at the glare of the lights, and looked around. She spotted her husband, who was asleep in a chair,his arms supporting his chin as he sat reversed in it. "Will," she said, calling out to her husband.

Riker woke up and walked slowly to his wife. Lyta got up from her seat, did a brief casual scan, and nodded at him. He leaned down and whispered to her, "Good to have you back, Imzadi."

Troi nodded and whispered back, "I'm glad to be back! I'm not sure when I'll be back to normal, if ever, but I'll be ok."

Days later, Lwaxana and Deanna took a shuttlecraft back to Earth. For the foreseeable future, Deanna would be relaxing and vacationing on Earth, as well as going to therapy to help her deal with Bester's handiwork. Riker hated to see her go, but he knew it was for the best.  
Now, he could concentrate on the work ahead.

Lyta and Byron joined him just outside the shuttle bay, and Riker said to them, "Let's get back to Deep Space Nine. We've got work to do!"

The two telepaths simply nodded and followed the captain back to the bridge.


	53. Chapter 53

**Chapter 53**

**The Tholian Advance**

**  
**

**Deep Space Nine **

**November 27, 2377 **

**11:35pm**

Riker had learned from experience about how the Tholians attack, but their new ships and tactics took him by surprise. They had launched a series of hit and run attacks at the Hercules as well as the station. Luckily, _Wildstar_ and _Yamato II_ were able to assist them in time, and Starfleet had been able to bring in enough forces to repel future attacks.

The Tholians, though, had enough forces to go after targets on Bajor. Luckily, no one had been killed, as a squadron of Whitestars had spotted them coming in and sent out a warning. The damage was very extensive,and as General Kira Nurys reflected on walking through some of the rubble on her homeworld, she shuddered at how worse it could have been.

Captain Stephen Ashcroft of the _Wildstar_ joined her in her office as they looked over the various damage reports. Ashcroft had lost his first wife and son in a sneak attack by the Tholians, so he was not in a good mood when he learned of the attacks. Kira could sense that he just wanted to go after the Tholians with his advanced starship, but his sense of duty and discipline held him in check. Nevertheless, he was chomping at the bit to get at those crystalline bastards.

"You really should take a break, Stephen. You look like you're so wound up that you're spring at the slightest provocation.," said Kira.

Ashcroft sighed and leaned back in his chair, then inhaled and exhaled slowly. "You're right. I need a break from this. You have any plans for tonight?"

"No, none at all. Odo's still on Bajor working on security issues there. Why?"

Ashcroft smiled and said, "I've got this new program on the holodeck that simulates walking down the old Riverwalk in San Antonio. Captain Paxton off the _Adiemus_ sent it to me before all this broke out, and I have only had one chance to use it. I was wondering if you wanted to give it a go?"

Kira smiled and said, "Sure thing. Do you want to use it on the _Wildstar_ or in one of Quark's holosuites?"

"It'll have to be on the _Wildstar_, because I checked into Quark's holosuites and they're booked solid. I like those better anyway, because they're bigger and more sophisticated than the ones at Quark's."

After finishing up on their paperwork, they headed to the _Wildstar_ to take in the program. Just as they were getting into the airlock, the station was rocked by several massive blasts.

Kira's exec officer, Commander Fuyuzuki, chimed in on her comm badge. "General, the Tholians are attacking again. Reading two dozen small ships and four large destroyers on attack course towards the station!"

"So much for recreation! I'll head up to the bridge! See you on the flip side, Kira," said Ashcroft, who raced into his ship and onto the bridge.

"What've we got," he said to his tactical officer, Montgomery.

"Sir, we've just taken out four of the smaller ships and disabled two of the large destroyers. _Hercules_ is after the third destroyer and _Yamato II _are on the fourth's tail."

"Take us out of dock and then launch our fighters. I want to disable as many of those ships and get some intelligence from those bastards.  
What's the engine and weapons status on the ships we've been able to disable?"

Litinova, his exec, said, "Weapons on the first destroyer are out, but they have limited impulse engines. The second does have some phasers, but they're effectively stalled in space."

Ashcroft nodded, "Let's not get overconfident, people. They caught us by surprise again, and I don't like that happening. Any idea if they have a cloaking device?"

Montgomery downloaded some information into a PADD and then handed it to Ashcroft. "Here's what we've got so far. I'm not sure if it's a cloaking device or if they have the ability to enter and exit warp undetected. The data's not conclusive."

He looked over the data and said, "I'll look this over after we clean up this mess. Looks like the Tholian destroyer nearest us is completely disabled, so take us closer to it."

"No wait, sir! I'm picking up a surge in their reactors. I've alerted the other two ships as well. Looks like they don't want to be taken alive, sir," said Montgomery.

"Like hell they will! See if you can beam any of those Tholians out of there, and tell Riker and Suarez that they should do the same. I want to know what they are up to!"

"Yes sir! I'll do what I can.," replied Montgomery, who went to work on the problem.

Ashcroft sat down next to his exec and she said to him, "Sir, do you think that we can get anything out of them? They aren't exactly susceptible to the same kind of interrogation tactics as we are."

Ashcroft nodded and said, "I know, so we may have to go a little unorthodox with this one, Commander. It may require doing some things that are outside the box."

Litinova thought for a moment, then said, "Does it involve asking the telepaths to interrogate them?"

"Yes, it does, but Byron and his people won't do it if I command them, so I have to be careful as to how I approach them. They're on the station now, because they want asylum on Betazed."

Before they could continue the conversation, the two ships they were attacking exploded in rapid succession, and the other two ships also blew up. "Sir, _Yamato II_ reports some hull damage to their ship. Apparently the destroyer they were after tried to make a run at them before they went up. No fatalities yet, but plenty of wounded."

"Tell Suarez if he needs any assistance from us, he's welcome to it. Better yet, go ahead and give it to him. I'm going to look over this data you gave me. We need to figure out how they are sneaking up on us.," Ashcroft stated.

"Yes sir. Sir, the other ships are leaving the system. Shall we pursue?"

"Negative, Montgomery. They may try to lead us into a trap, or sneak one of us off and leave the station vulnerable. Track them as long as you can and we'll go from there." Montgomery nodded her head quickly and worked at her console. Ashcroft headed into his ready room, and Litinova followed behind him.

She coughed and got his attention. "Commander, is something the matter?"

"I have a concern, sir. It's about the Tholians. I know you lost your first wife and child in an attack."

Ashcroft cut her off. "...and you're worried that I might get too emotional and let my judgment slip. It's nothing that I haven't thought of myself. Besides, I'm more worried as to why the Tholians are fighting us anyway."

"Do you think they are allied with the Ragendora?"

"It wouldn't surprise me. After what happened to the Romulans and Klingons, and with Cardassia under Ragendoran occupation, the Tholians are the last major power in the galaxy besides us. They may be doing this on their own, but I tend to lean that they are in bed with the Ragendora."

"This keeps getting more and more complicated as this goes along, Captain."

"Commander, I fear we've just begun to fight this war. But make no mistake, come hell or high water, and regardless of the cost, we will win this war!"


	54. Chapter 54

**Chapter 54**

**The Fates are Cruel Bastards **

**  
**

**Aboard USS _Wildstar_**

**November 30, 2377 **

**11pm**

"Another day, another dollar for Uncle Sam to deduct from my check," said a very tired Captain Stephen Ashcroft as he made his way down a hallway to his quarters.

"That's an old saying, if you don't mind my saying so. Even us Aussies know about it, despite the fact that Uncle Sam ceased to exist centuries ago and money's irrelevant in this day and age," replied Commander Litinova, clad in a one piece swimsuit after a workout in the ship's pool.

"Says you! I've got some gold-pressed latinum in a few accounts on several worlds, just in case I need it."

Litinova raised an eyebrow. "Well, do you now? And why would you have something like that?"

"Just in case I ever need some money. Trust me, I've been on enough away missions to always be prepared.," replied Ashcroft.

"'Be prepared', the old Youth Scouts motto. I was in them when I was a kid. Good times, those."

"Yeah, me too, back in the day. My dad was always away on his starship, and when he was home, him and my mom would be off on some romantic trip. So most of my male role models came from scouting."

"I guess I'm lucky my mom and dad was just a school teacher and he was home every night."

Ashcroft nodded his head, then pressed a button on his quarters to open the sliding doors. "Yeah, but me and my dad had some good times too. We butted heads a lot, but I still wouldn't have traded him for the universe."

Litinova smiled and wished him good night, and Ashcroft entered his quarters. His smile faded as he saw the photo of his first wife and child on his desk. The memory of Victoria and Brandon came to him again. It was aboard his first command, the science vessel _Arcadia_, and they were in the middle of a vow renewal ceremony when the Tholians pulled off a sneak attack. He watched in horror as a bulkhead smashed his wife,who was holding their son in her hands. The only good thing was that they never saw the heavy bulkhead smash down into them, so they never felt any pain. It didn't help him, though, as he still remembered that horror to this day.

Members of his crew rushed him out of there as they escaped the lounge, which had become exposed to space. Despite the best efforts of the force field to hold off the vacuum, the field failed and several members who were trapped in the room were killed in a cruel, gruesome fashion. The Tholian ships beamed in an away team and made off with some of the samples that the crew of the _Arcadia_ had collected on their mission to the mineral-rich planet, Garka VI. Once they had the samples, they beamed back onto their ship and ran away.

When he made his way to the bridge, he soon found out that he couldn't stay. "Sir, the reactor's about to go critical! We've got to get to the life pods," said his chief engineer, Soshi Kato, before she was killed when her console blew up in her face. He didn't hesitate as he announced "abandon ship!" into the ship's communication system. Later, he had wished he had gone down with his ship, but he wasn't thinking as he made his way to the life pod. Moments later, they were shot away from the ship, pressed into their seats as they were accelerated away from the imminent warp breach.

Years later, he still would be brought to tears whenever he thought of them. His crew of 330 saw over 200 killed, as several couldn't make it to the life pods in time, or others died when their pods were destroyed by the shock wave from the core breach. The commission assigned to investigate his actions during the attacks quickly cleared him of any wrongdoing, and all the parents of those who had been killed had forgiven him for the deaths of their children, but it was years before he could forgive himself.

He fell asleep on the couch, too tired and emotionally drained to make it to the bed. In his dreams, his father came to him. Bernard "Buster" Hollifield was a captain himself at one time, but eventually earned promotion to admiral when Ashcroft was in his teens. He discouraged his son from entering Starfleet Academy, and was pleased his son entered UNC-Chapel Hill and earned a law degree. His pleasure soon turned to disappointment as his restless son entered the Academy anyway a year after graduating law school.

On the day of his son's graduation from the Academy, Buster Ashcroft was away on a mission to deal with the unrest coming from the Orion Syndicate. He found out just as he was making it back from a graduation party with his classmates near the Presidio. He broke down right there, never having the chance to make peace with his father in real life.

In his dreams, though, he'd long since made his peace. His dad walked up to him in the garden behind their old house, wearing his old style Starfleet uniform.

_"You know, I once thought it was a bad idea for you to wear the uniform, but now I see you were a natural. Sorry that I kept you from doing what you were born to do for so long, my son."_

_"It's ok, dad. I know you meant well. You wanted me to have what you wished you had: a steady family life. I know that granddad pushed you to go into service, to continue the family tradition."_

_His father nodded, "Yeah, and I came to grow into it. But I wished I'd been able to have been promoted sooner so I could have been there for you more."_

_"At least you had a chance at a family, dad. As for me, I have my doubts."_

_"Never know, son. Love might just come knocking again, and it might be closer than you think. Just don't slam the door on it because of what's happened in the past. Remember, my first wife died just weeks after we graduated from the Academy, and I was lucky to have met your mother a couple of years later."_

_"Well, I'll try my best, dad. That's all I can do."_

_His dad came up to him and hugged him, which was something he rarely did in real life. "I know, son. That's all I ask."_

The chiming of his doorbell awakened him. "Enter," he said, and Commander Litinova entered his quarters. "Sorry if I woke you up, sir,  
but I just needed someone to talk to.," said the commander.

Ashcroft sat up on the couch and patted it, inviting Litinova to sit beside him. "What's the matter, Commander?"

"Please, do we have to be so formal, Captain? Call me Kate."

Ashcroft nodded and said, "Ok, you can call me Steven. Reminds me of an old Paul Simon song"Kate smiled and said, "Thanks, Steven." and she sat down beside them, and they talked deep into the night.


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter 55**

**Two Men Walk Into A Bar...**

**  
**

**Aboard USS _Wildstar_**

**December 1, 2377 **

**10pm**

"What'll ya have, gov'nor," said Ian Bailey, head cook of the galley.

Captain Ashcroft and Bailey went back a long way, all the way back to the _Arcadia_. It was Bailey that had pulled Ashcroft out of the way of the falling bulkhead that claimed his wife and son, and who pulled him to the life pod to prevent Ashcroft from playing the hero.

"I'll have the special.," said Ashcroft.

"Coming right up, cap'n! Had a tough day, have ya?"

"Sort of. We're still having problems intergrading the Legendoran tech in with our own systems, and with all the battle damage we've suffered at the hands of the bloody Tholians..."

"Yeah, those bastards have changed a bit since _Arcadia_. I noticed from the chatter that they were using new tactics this time around."

Coming into the galley was President Hollifield, who was staying aboard this ship temporarily while _Hercules_ returned to Earth to drop off Deanna Troi for treatment at Starfleet Medical. He looked worn out and beat, just like he was. Their jobs may be different, but their attitudes ran along similar lines.

"Evening, Mr. President. What'll ya have," said Bailey.

"I'll have whatever he's having. You know, us politicians are supposed to make decisions all the times, so having the chance to go with the flow once in a while is a good thing!"

Bailey laughed as he went back into the kitchen to get the two men their meals. Ashcroft and Hollifield took their drinks back to a table in the corner of the galley, where they could talk. Ashcroft had to go through tons of red tape to have the galley put in, because Starfleet bureaucrats thought just having replicators would do the job. Ashcroft argued that having freshly prepared food aboard the ship was important to the well-being of the crew, and the social environment of the galley would help with morale. In the ten years he had helmed this ship, he had noticed the effects of the galley on the crew, and had been successful in persuading Starfleet in adding them to new ships coming into the line.

"You know, I was just thinking. We have a lot in common. We've both been widowed twice, fought in wars, served our time in hell...among other things.," mused President Hollifield.

"All too true. And, we both went to Carolina, which is all the more important," replied Ashcroft as he raised his glass for a toast.

"Damn straight! Those Dukies think they've always been better than us, but look at what we've accomplished. Not bad for the oldest public university back in the States!"

Ashcroft nodded as he knocked back his iced tea. "So when do you head back to your Earth?"

"Couple of weeks, maybe sooner. Depends on developments. This damned war has paused for now, but we both know that we're going to have to break into Cardassia and free that world if we want to defeat the Ragendora."

"Yeah, them having a beachhead like that in our universe makes our job a lot tougher. It would have been even harder if we had to deal with Centauri Prime as another beachhead."

Hollifield sighed and admitted, "I still worry that the Ragendora may try to take that planet again. Their military is still very strong, but they're thin across the galaxy going after the Drakh. I've tried to tell Mollari that he should do more to help us out with the overall campaign, but he's too damn stubborn and his hatred for the Drakh..."

Ashcroft snorted, "Sounds like some Ferengi I've known. Hell, sounds like some Klingons I've known, and if you tell them that, I'll have your head on a silver platter!"

Hollifield laughed and said, "No thank you! I've got enough people who want to kill me as it is, and, besides, you'd probably succeed where they failed!"

The two men laughed as their dishes were brought to their table. Both had heaping plates of beef stroganoff before them, with accompanying breadsticks and a vegetable medley side dish. "One thing I'll say about this ship: you've got a damn good cook! The gal on the _Hercules_ was good, but Bailey just seems like he's much more creative than she was."

"Indeed. He used to be a Starfleet officer long ago, and he served with me, but he lost his wife at Wolf 359 and resigned his commission. He puttered around his native Manchester for a few years, getting a culinary degree. I visited him one day when we were finishing up on this ship and he said he was getting tired of being Earthbound. So when I suggested that we needed a galley, he was the guy I had in mind to run the place."

Hollifield nodded and said, "Yeah, he had that look of someone who's been under fire. Lord knows we've been through seeing those we loved ripped from us."

"Yeah, I still remember when my dad was killed in that surprise attack from the Tholians. He was just on a routine mission aboard his flagship when the Tholian raiders hit his ship."

"Sorry to hear about that, Steven. I'm sort of lucky my dad's still around. Although there have been times I wished he hadn't survived the Dilgar War."

Ashcroft turned to his friend with a puzzled look on his face and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Hollifield sighed and leaned back against his chair, resting his head against the wall. Finally, he said, "My dad was a pilot who flew troop transports for the Earthforce Marines. When they arrived at Balos, he saw what the Dilgar had done to the native population. Their most monstrous War Leader, J'Hadur, had implanted machines in the minds of several races in the non-aligned worlds sector, and when he saw the remnants of those who survived..."

Ashcroft nodded, "Sort of like when the Allied troops freed the concentration camps as the Nazi regime fell apart."

Hollifield closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall again. "It shook my dad seriously, but he repressed it because he had a job to do. He saw many more scenes like it before the end of the war, which came suddenly when the sun in the Dilgar system suddenly went nova. After the war, Earthforce gave him a bucket load of medals, but it didn't make up for the psychological trouble he went through. That, and the fact that his wife and only son both were discovered to be telepaths."

"I take it you aren't too fond of your mother."

Hollifield shook his head, "No, I remember the woman she was before she got her 'blessing'. She was loving, gentle, sweet...but when she got her telepathy and went into the Corps, it was like she turned a complete 180 on an emotional level. When I got my abilities a few years later, she made sure I didn't have a chance to get away and I was brought into Teeptown. It was the worst two years of my life."

Ashcroft sat back, then said, "But how did you get out of the Corps?"

Hollifield took another bite of his stroganoff, swallowed, then said, "One night, they came for me. They took me to a shuttle and we took off to Mars. We landed at the not-so-secret Psi Corps base on Syria Planum. There, Mr. Bester and his associates, with the full permission and cooperation of my dear mother, pumped me full of drugs to boost my telepathy beyond where it was humanly possible.

"For a brief moment, I could _see everything, hear everything, and feel everything_. Then, like a door, my mind slammed shut. I believe I had a stroke of some kind, but I'll never know.

"Then, a day later, I was abducted from the base by a strange being. As we walked through the halls of the facility, I found that all the guards had been sedated. We left on an alien ship, and I was sedated myself. When I woke up, I was on the Vorlon homeworld."

Ashcroft's eyes went wide, and he said, "My God! What was that like?"

Hollifield said, "To this day, I can't adequately describe it. One of these days, when we have some free time, I'll try to replicate it in that holodeck of yours. But anyway, while I was there, I was _adjusted_."

"Adjusted?"

"Like with Lyta Alexander, but they had more time with me. So, about three months later, they dropped me off in Munich, and I was taken back to Psi Corps. They tested me, because they suspected the Vorlons had been behind what happened to me. They found that I had no abilities any longer, and they reluctantly let me go back into the general population."

"Reluctantly?"

"Because Mr. Bester, back when he was a young, up-and-coming officer, pressed his superiors to have me euthanized and dissected, but Director Johnson decided to thwart the bastard and set me free. Granted, I was closely monitored for years, secretly, or so they thought, but they never suspected I still had my abilities."

Ashcroft sighed and said, "Why do I get the impression that Johnson wasn't a nice guy?"

"He wasn't. He did it specifically because he had a grudge against Bester and telepaths like him. According to EA law, the director of Psi Corps has to be a normal, and Johnson filled that position well. He mainly got it because he was a teep-hater."

"Ah, politics. Something that supposedly doesn't exist in this universe.," Ashcroft said, rolling his eyes.

"Well, I have some idea of their quarrel, but I don't know the whole story. I do know that Bester was responsible for his murder, but Santiago and I made sure that any information of the deed was suppressed. At that time, we considered Johnson a bigger threat than Bester."

Ashcroft leaned back and drank some more tea, then said, "I don't know if I could survive in the world of politics, especially in your universe."

"Trust me, there hasn't been a day that's gone by that I haven't regretted letting them run me out of the service. I joined up because I needed that kind of regimentation in my life at the time."

Ashcroft nodded as he finished a spoonful of the vegetable medley, saying once his mouth was empty, "Same here. My dad hated my decision,but I always felt drawn to the uniform."

"Exactly. My uncle was the same way, as was my dad. But they didn't interfere with me getting in, albeit that they did their damnedest to make sure I didn't get a combat assignment. That's why I got that blasted honor guard duty."

"So that's why you're out here? You struck me as a hands-on kind of guy."

Hollifield finished the last of his tea. "Yeah, that and the fact that I was off Earth during the plague. I couldn't stand to be behind a desk,  
so I hopped on ships and lead from the front. It makes my vice-president's life hell, as well as my chief of staff, but I'm the president, as well as a war hero, so they let me slide. Besides, what better way to get me killed than in combat!"

Ashcroft laughed again, "Yeah, from what you've said in the past, the late and unlamented President Clark still has some buddies who want some revenge."

"Uh-huh, but they figure, since I'm going headlong into combat, why bother trying to kill me?"

"So there is a method to your madness after all?"

"Of course," replied Hollifield. The two finished their dinners and then ordered desert. Both had peach cobbler, and both remarked that Bailey had somehow stole their respective grandmother's recipe.

Once they had finished, Ashcroft said, "Listen, you wanna come back to my quarters and watch the Carolina/Duke football game? They're playing for the ACC championship in football tonight!"

Hollifield looked shocked. "Duke contending for a championship in football? Now that I've got to see! They haven't won the ACC title in my universe since 2111!"

Ashcroft laughed and said, "Well, they are a little better here. At least my senior class doesn't have the indignity of losing to them!"

"Hush your mouth! My senior year, we lost to those bastards in the ACC AND NCAA tournament finals, and I still haven't been able to live it down to this day!"

Enter supporting content here


	56. Chapter 56

**Chapter 56**

**Three Relics **

**  
**

**On board USS _Andromeda II_**

**Babylon 5 Space Station **

**May 22, 2271 7:30am**

Starfleet Engineer General Montgomery "Scotty" Scott had always been a hands-on kind of man. His position in Starfleet these days was mainly serving as a consultant, but since he hated sitting behind desks, he mainly lived out of his suitcase. He had been trapped in a transporter for three quarters of a century until being freed by the crew of the old _Enterprise-D_, and, in the decade since then, he had not only caught up with all the modern technology that he'd missed out on, but even made some of his own innovations as well.

But even he was amazed at the technological marvels that the Legendora were giving the Federation, along with the Earth Alliance and the remaining Earth Defense Force ships. Several more were due to arrive later on that day, and Scotty had to find some way to edge them into his schedule, which was already packed. Babylon 5's commanding officer, Captain Elizabeth Lochley, had managed to get him quarters on the station with a hot shower, but he was hardly there as it was. Just to grab a quick nap, shower, and put on a fresh uniform, and then try and grab something to eat, because his body needed fuel as well as the engines he tended did.

He was assisting the engineering crew with the installation of a new conduit to the bridge when his communication link beeped. As usual, he was on his back putting it in as the others assisted him as best they could. They knew that he'd probably push them out of the way and do it himself anyway, so why delay the old man from doing what he wanted to begin with?

He tapped his comm badge and answered the hail, "Scotty here. What is it?"

"It's Captain Habib, sir. The EDF ships have just come through the time rift in Sector 14, and you asked me to let you know when they arrived."

"Aye, thank you, Captain! How many ships are there, per chance," Scotty replied in his Scottish hilt.

"Reading...ten...no, make it twelve. Sensors had to compensate for the rift, but we have confirmation of a dozen EDF ships. They should be in orbit of Epsilon Eridani 3 within four hours."

Scotty chuckled, "No rest for the weary, eh Captain?." He sighed and added, "I'll be up there shortly." He then turned to one of the engineers, toss him the spanner that he was using and said, "I've had my fun for the day. Now all of you fine fellows and lasses can have at it!" With another chuckle, he walked away from the corridor and towards a tubecar.

Meanwhile, while Scotty was making his way to the bridge, Dan Tanner, Lyta Alexander, and Byron were assembled near a shuttle in docking bay 21. "Are you sure you want to do this, Byron? The last time I was there,the sensation was a bit overwhelming, even for me."

"Look, my love, I need to see this man. If he has any more idea of our origins, I would love to find out about them. And besides, we need all the help we can get in the coming war. The telepaths who came with me are reluctant to enter this fray, but Wildstar and Ashcroft helped to convince them to join them in this war. It's my responsibility to give them all the chance I can to survive the battles that lie ahead."

Lyta nodded and walked into the shuttle, followed by Byron. Dan Tanner made one last check of the exterior of the shuttle, then climbed inside himself. He knew of Kevin Vacit and his history, and the fact that Lyta and Garibaldi had encountered him on an alien world in an unchartered sector of space. President Hollifield had warned him to be careful, and to take along a tricorder and any other equipment he needed from the _Wildstar_, and Ashcroft had signed off on that request. So, in addition to the usual scanners that an Earthforce atmospheric shuttle would normally have, he had decked the ship out with an array of Federation-brand equipment. The tireless Scotty even pitched in some time to assist the android once known as Data with his mission.

They took off and soon exited the entrance to the station. Tanner set the shuttle on course to the jumpgate, which received the proper codes and, with a sparking display of energy, opened up a vortex into hyperspace. He linked the shuttle's tracking system with the gate's beacon, as well as his own internal systems. After a couple of more jumps, they would meet up with a Whitestar and make their way to the planet where Vacit resided.

After the shuttle entered the jumpgate, Scotty was beamed from the _Andromeda II_ to an empty office that served as Babylon 5's improvised transporter room. Scotty had designed it himself, and he personally trained the station's crew on its operation. The buffers weren't quite to his liking, but they did the job well enough. He materialized in the room, greeted by Captain Lochley and _Yamato_'s Captain Wildstar.

Lochley nodded at Scotty and said, "Good to see you again, General. If you'll come this way..." She extended her arm, indicating the doorway leading out of the office. Scotty sighed, still not used to someone who was as formal in her duties as Lochley was. She didn't notice his sigh, or, more likely he thought, she pretended not to notice it. Wildstar, on the other hand, did notice and shot him a little smile, indicating he had the same trouble with her as Scotty did.

They arrived at Command and Control just as the remaining ships from the EDF entered into the space around the station. Lt. Saed El Haudori was at the main station, and he nodded to the threesome as they came around the railing to stand beside the station.

To Scott's surprise, the Arab spoke in with a soft accent from the southern region of the old United States. "Sir, we're getting a message from the _Arizona_. Her captain's hailing us."

Lochley nodded and said, "Put it through!"

The image of the captain of the _Arizona_ came through, and Derek was shocked at who he saw. "Greetings, Captain Lochley. I am Captain Abraham Avatar of the _Arizona_. We have come for the offer to be refit with the Legendoran technology."

"Confirmed, Captain Avatar. Welcome to Babylon 5," she replied, and turned in time to see Derek Wildstar faint to the deck.


	57. Chapter 57

**Chapter 57**

** A Father Not By Blood Can Still Be A Father**

**Captain Lochley's Office **

**Babylon 5 Space Station**

** May 24, 2271 **

**11am**

Derek Wildstar chided himself for fainting and knocking himself out by hitting his head on the railing. He had been out for several minutes,  
and the next thing he remembered was being lifted onto a gurney and taken to Medlab 1. Soon after, his wife joined him, and when he found out that she had fainted, along with several others of the crew, when she saw his image on the video screen on _Yamato_'s bridge, he didn't feel as embarrassed any longer.

When he woke up from sleeping, his eyes had a hard time focusing on an image of a man that he had thought was dead. "Is this a dream," he asked Captain Avatar.

"No, Derek. It's not. It's the real me. You see, I didn't actually die, but I came close. Strangely enough, the activation of the Cosmo DNA assisted in my recovery, and it took a while to get me back up to speed. Commander Singleton assigned me to a secret project once I was back to my old self again, and that's why we're here."

"The new fleet?"

Avatar nodded. "The _Arizona_ is a very sweet ship. Most of the fleet is made from the old ships that were sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor way back in 1941! Granted, most of it is cosmetic, but the heart and soul of those ships are in my new fleet, and, together with the _Yamato_, we shall make the Ragendora pay for destroying our Earth!"

Wildstar nodded, then quickly placed a hand to his head. Avatar placed his hand on Wildstar's shoulder, saying, "You rest up and get better. We won't be pulling out for at least a couple more weeks. Once the Legendora are done with my little fleet, we'll really give them a fight!"

Wildstar saluted and Avatar left the room. Avatar felt like Wildstar was his own son, which brought a fresh bout of pain to his heart, as his own son, Adam, had been lost at the Battle of Pluto. He had long since realized that it was not Alex Wildstar's fault for his son's death, but it took a long time to forgive the former captain of the _Paladin_ for taking his son to his grave. The journey to Iscandar had been a long one, and despite his rapidly declining health, he was able to witness the growth of the crew, especially that of Derek Wildstar. He knew that Derek had it in him to be a great captain, but the trick was making sure that Derek knew he had it in him and for him to bring it out of the young combat chief.

Avatar was assisted by a security officer and made his way back to the War Room, located next to the station commander's office. Normally, Avatar would have had his hackles raised at such assistance, but the station was so huge that he was very appreciative of the help. In no time, he made his way into the War Room, where President Sheridan,recently returned from Minbar, and Starfleet Captain Lauren Yamamoto were discussing matters.

"The new _Andromeda II_ will be ready for combat in five days' time, Mr. President. Thanks to Scotty, as well as your own team of techs, we're ahead of schedule. We should be ready to head off and meet the enemy as soon as we are needed."

"Good! Thank you, Captain Yamamoto. I'd like to introduce you to Captain Abraham Avatar, off the _Arizona_. The EDF _Arizona_, I should say!"

The two captains exchanged greetings, and while they did that, the others invited to the meeting came into the room. Sheridan took the chair at the head of the table, beside that of the Legendoran Genon. "Ok, if we can go ahead and get started, I'd like to bring you all up to speed on what we know at the moment. As you know, the Ragendora have taken Cardassia and strengthened their hold of it with the help of the Jem'Hadar and the Tholians. It appears that the old Dominion allies, the Breen, have also joined this new alliance. At present, we do have some intelligence gathering operations on going there, but we've not been able to get much information from them yet.

"As for this universe, we are going after the Drakh as we speak, with the help of the newly liberated forces from Centauri Prime. The main focus of this effort is to try and deny the enemy a foothold in this universe. It may very well be a futile effort, as we do not know the full strength of the enemy yet, but all we can do to deny them allies here will go a long way towards victory.

"For the universe of Derek Wildstar and the crew of the _Yamato_, we are building a base on Mars as well as in the asteroid field between Mars and Jupiter. With Earth gone, the Ragendora do not want to tread there because of the gravitational unknowns. However, the Legendorans have been able to stabilize the old Moon's orbit, and we may very soon be able to use it for a base as well."

Genon stood up and gave a short speech. "My friends, I know how hard it must be to lose your Earth, and we, sadly, cannot bring it back. But when we have won this war, we will do what we can to rebuild the world that was taken from you. We cannot bring back the lives lost, but, perhaps, we can make a new world stand as a memorial to them."

Avatar's eyes watered briefly, but he was able to cover it up with a quick wipe of his eyes with his gloved hand. Mark Venture, filling in as the _Yamato_ representative for Wildstar, didn't bother to hide the tear that ran down his cheek.

Avatar stood up and said, "We, the remaining ships of the old Earth Defense Force, pledge ourselves to do whatever we can, at whatever cost, to achieve victory. Our contribution may be little, but with the help of the Legendora, we can make it count!"

Those in the room applauded the impromptu speech, and Avatar sat back down. Then, it was back on with the business of readying themselves for the next phase of the war.

**Unknown planet **

**May 28, 2271 **

**4am**

Lyta Alexander woke up to the chime on her watch, and gently shook her lover Byron awake beside her. They were still fully clothed and, thus, made haste to get to the bridge of the ship. In her mind, she could feel those on the planet below her. Having been there before, and seen what she'd seen, she already had a strong sense of what was on the planet. What she didn't tell anybody else at that moment was that there were far fewer voices there now.

Having made their way onto the bridge, Dan Tanner got up from the command chair and walked up to them. "I've held the ship in orbit until now, because I wanted try and see if you can contact Vacit. Let him know that we want to come down there and speak with him."

Lyta nodded and walked to the window at the end of the room. She looked out at the planet and, in her mind, sought out the signs for Vacit. It wasn't long that she found them.

_Ah, there you are! I've been waiting for you! You remind me so much of Natasha and the other ancestors of yours I knew._

_Yes, I'm here. We'd like to come down and discuss a few things with you, face to face._

_Of course. You are more than welcome. Things have changed here since we last saw one another. I want to discuss that with you as well._

_I would like that. We'll be down shortly in the area where we landed last time._

_Good, Lyta. I'll be there to watch you land!_

She ended the connection and nodded to Tanner. Tanner ordered the pilot to enter orbit then descend down to the planet's surface. Within the hour, the ship was making a perfect landing on the plains in front of where Kevin Vacit lived. The former director of the Psi Corps still looked incredibly ancient, but Lyta found that he looked healthier than the last time she saw him.

Vacit noticed Tanner and enquired with Lyta. _It's ok. He's a friend of ours._

_A friend? He's not even Human! He's a robot!_

_An android, to be precise. Trust me, he's someone we need on our side._

_Ok. Does he know of all of my abilities?_

_Yes, I fully briefed him. He still chose to come along on the mission. He volunteered._

Vacit nodded and spoke aloud. "Welcome to all of you! Please, come this way!"

Vacit's quarters had improved since the last time that they had been there. They entered a sitting room and sat in some chairs, or at least what looked like chairs. Dan Tanner paused briefly to look over the chair, then proceeded to sit down in it.

"It's good that you are here. If you are asking me to be a part in this war that's underway, I must say that someone has beaten you to the punch."

Lyta and Byron both looked perplexed, while Dan Tanner sat there impassive. He did ask, "Has someone been here before us?"

"Yes, and I think you, Data, know who they are."

A link beeped in Dan Tanner's pocket. It was Nerval, the Whitestar's captain. "Sir, Borg ships have appeared in the system!"

"How many," he asked impassively.

In a shocked tone, he said, "Lots!"

Three life forms beamed into the room, and Lyta, Dan Tanner, and Byron jumped up from their seats. When one of them materialized into the form of Captain Picard, Tanner relaxed a bit.

"Data, it's good to see you again," said the former captain of the _Enterprise-E_.

"Good to see you again too, sir. Might I ask, why are you here?"

Picard looked at Vacit and then back at Data. "The Borg are evolving, Data. Some of them are telepaths, and their abilities have been ingrained into the old collective as a whole."

With him were Seven of Nine and the technomage Galen, who no longer wore the black cloak of a mage. Instead, he wore a simple outfit of a gray shirt, black jacket, and black pants. He raised his hand and said, "We found this place ages ago on our journeys, and normally we would have stayed away. But when we found that some of the Borg were telepaths, it was decided that we needed to find a way to help them."

Vacit approached Lyta and Byron, "You see, my friends, Galen and the others have discovered something wonderful! The Vorlons and the Shadows...are related!"

"WHAT," said Byron and Lyta at the same time.

"It's true.," said Picard. "It's difficult to explain, but when we were investigating the Borg implants, we found the code that the Vorlons used to create telepaths. So, we came here in search of help to bring this talent out of the millions of Borg with us."

"Millions? Where," asked Dan Tanner.

Galen held out his hand in front of him, and a three-dimensional projection came to life. It was of the space around the planet, and the image swung away from the Whitestar to the countless Borg cubes in orbit around the planet.

A voice came out from the doorway to what probably was Vacit's bedroom. It was another Legendoran. "My name is Allondra. I am here to assist the Borg and the technomages in their new evolution."

"Evolution? Into what," asked Byron.

Allondra said, with a smile on her gold-skinned face, "We're not sure exactly, but what we hope it to be is the fusion of telepathy and Borg technology. In layman's terms, it's the birth of a new species."

Byron then felt a small tingle in his brain and was amazed to find that it was coming from Galen, of all people.

"If you and your followers join us in this fight, Byron, you all will have the choice to become what we are evolving into. We won't force this upon you, but, if you will come aboard our cube, you can find out what we are all about."

Byron looked at Lyta, who smiled at him. He paused briefly to think it over, but his sense of curiosity got the best of him. "Yes, I'll come aboard. Lyta?"

Lyta nodded, and Picard tapped a comm badge on his outfit. "Picard to Penelope. Eight to beam up!"

The eight were beamed off the planet, and onto the Borg cube.


	58. Chapter 58

**Chapter 58**

**The Fusion of Neuron and Circuit**

**Borg Cube _"Aristotle"_**

**Orbiting the unknown planet **

**June 6, 2271 10am**

Picard could feel the tide turning in the universe, as if God had woke up one morning and decided to make a fundamental change in the way all the universes that He ran operated. They had gathered all the rogue telepaths that were willing to volunteer for the procedure, as well as all of the Borg aboard the other ships, for the final transformation. He stood beside the aged Kevin Vacit, who looked over all of those who had assembled in the main hall on the _Aristotle_. He stepped into what looked like an ancient sleeping tube from the days before jumpgate travel, and closed his eyes. Picard and the other Borgs, telepaths, and technomages did likewise. The tubes sealed and Picard did his best to relax, which was helped by the calming classical music that he had suggested they use during the procedure.

He thought back to his first encounter with the seemingly omniscient entity Q, who had first introduced him to the Borg almost twenty years ago now. It was a little over a year before the Borg would attempt to conquer Earth and the Federation, and before he was abducted and changed into Locutus. In a way, he wished now he could have found this way to convert them right then, because so many lives would have been saved. But the regret passed over him as the sedative began to slowly put him to sleep.

Dr. Beverly Crusher watched on from a computer terminal with several Legendorans, anxious at what was taking place. The Legendorans were in awe of it, much to her surprise. They hadn't expected this, but were quick to aid Picard when he saw the connection between the Shadow tech and the Vorlon tech. In that one brief moment of clarity, he had seen that the Shadows themselves were much like the Ragendora: offshoots of the main race, the Vorlons. The Vorlons and the Legendorans were not related, but were known to one another, as the Legendorans had nurtured and mentored the Vorlons from their very beginnings billions of years ago into the corporeal beings that they were today. Each had gone beyond the rim of the Milky Way Galaxy, much like those who came before them had, seemingly never to return again. It was the Legendorans who had cracked the barrier between universes, and they soon were awash in the thrill of discovering those like themselves in other times and places.

They had discovered that the old theories the humans had of their origins, creation and evolution, were both right, after a fashion. It was the Vorlons who were behind the creation of the Adam and Eve myth, and the Shadows who advanced the evolution theory, both doing so in their behind-the-scenes way. They were like divorced parents who could not get along, both trying to set their children against the other parent. One day, not too long ago, the Human, John Sheridan, had seen the light and brought together a mighty alliance of planets to oppose the Shadows and, later, the Vorlons, culminating in the climatic battle in space around Coriana VI. The Corianans were a race that had yet evolved to the point of space travel, so they knew not of what events were taking place above their planet, or how close they had come to extinction.

Crusher knew little to nothing of all of this, as her focus was on the patients undergoing the transformation. To Breel, one of the Legendorans, it was like watching a paradigm shift in the course of history, something that those of her race had witnessed many times in their own history, but was very rare to those of the shorter lived races. She glanced down at the console in front of her, and was pleased that all was going well.

The complete procedure would take a full twenty-four hours to complete, because it had been determined that the introduction of the telepathic and telekinetic genes, as well as that of the Borg tech, needed to be done carefully. Those who were telepathic were receiving the Borg implants, enhanced by the Legendorans, and those who were Borg or technomage were having their DNA transformed with the genes that would unify those in the tubes. It had been decided to allow those in the tubes an extra day to sleep so that they could be monitored as the treatments took hold.

Two days later, Crusher cracked open Picard's tube and scanned him with a medical tricorder. His vital signs were within tolerance levels, but he had clearly changed. First off, his former baldhead showed some growth of hair on his baldhead, and he looked years younger.

"How do you feel, Jean-Luc," she asked.

_Like a new.._.Picard paused and laughed. "Like a new person, being born. Sorry about the telepathy, Beverly. It takes some getting used to."

Crusher nodded and went on to scan the others. Drusilla and Penelope came up to Picard, looking younger themselves but also tired, like they had just come off one of those old transoceanic flights back in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. _Locu..I mean, Jean-Luc! It's wonderful, is it not?_

_It is indeed!_ Picard spotted a bottle of water on a table nearby and extended a hand. The bottle shook, then flew to him and landed firmly in his hand._ It is wonderful indeed._

From a window above the hall, Garrison Hollifield and Dan Tanner looked upon those emerging from the tubes with impassive expressions. Tanner broke the silence when he said, "May I ask you a question, Garrison?"

"Dan, you're my senior advisor. It's your job to do that.," Hollifield replied sarcastically.

Tanner ignored the tone and asked, "Why didn't you join them? Why didn't you undergo the transformation yourself?"

Hollifield sighed and said, "Because Earth needs me, and I can't go where they're going. They need time to become comfortable with their new abilities, and the Legendora will help supervise and guide them. They're the ones who will be the pivot on which this war turns, Dan, and they need the time to be ready for what we need them to do for us."

Major Hudson came into the room and said, "Sir, the _Freedom_ is ready to depart back to Deep Space Nine whenever you are. Crusher told me that the _Aristotle_ will be leaving in a few hours, and she'll be coming with us back to the station."

"Good. Dan, if you'll please go ahead and get settled in, I'll join you shortly.," said the president.

Tanner paused for a moment, then found the message between the lines. With a nod, he left without a word. Once the doors closed behind him,Twanissa Hudson walked into her lover's arms.

"I'm so glad you chose not to undergo the procedure," she said, hugging him tightly.

"I know. I couldn't be away from you, and I want to be what I am right now. The choice was a simple one, and I made the right decision in choosing you over being enhanced."

She looked up at him and kissed him on the lips. "We should go. They need their time to get used to their new abilities."

Hollifield nodded and walked with his love out of the room and down the hall to the transporter room. Soon, the _Freedom_ turned away from the Borg cubes assembled, and Picard watched them from a monitor.

"Goodbye, Beverly," he said with a tone of resignation in her voice. He wiped a tear from his eye and then walked back to the Legendorans who were assembled in his office.

Meanwhile, in her quarters aboard the _Freedom_, Beverly Crusher wept for the man she loved.


	59. Chapter 59

**Chapter 59 **

**Reports From Behind Enemy Lines**

**On board Deep Space Nine **

**December 14, 2377 **

**6pm**

Captain Stephen Ashcroft and President Garrison Hollifield met in the conference room, pouring over the paltry amount of reports they had received from Cardassia Prime. They knew that those sent behind the lines were going to have a difficult time, but they could not imagine how difficult. Two of their operatives had managed to get off the Cardassian homeworld and were on their way here. The Whitestar was expected shortly, and the wait was excruciating. The Whitestar was running on radio silence, to avoid being tracked by any of the Ragendora or their allies.

"Ever get used to waiting for stuff like this," Ashcroft asked Hollifield.

"No. In my vice presidency and my presidency, we had our fair share of missions like this. President Luchencko used to let me run them for her because of my military background, as well as the fact it allowed her to concentrate on other things. The Telepath War had its fair share of moments like this, as friends of mine within the Corps as well as among the rogues took forever to report back to me. Or it seemed like it did."

Ashcroft leaned back in his chair and reread the report on the PADD for, what seemed like, the hundredth time. Neither one of them were patient people, but had to learn patience in their respective careers.

General Kira Nurys entered the room, followed by the station's chief of security, Odo, and the look on her face told Ashcroft what he needed to know. "We just saw Whitestar 412 jump into Bajoran space. They're making their way here, along with their escort."

"Good. Lock onto their signal and beam them out if the enemy decides to attack. Their information is vital to this effort, so we need to take every precaution we can.," said Hollifield.

"Good idea, Mr. President. I'll get right on it.," said Kira, and she left with Odo.

Ashcroft released a held breath and leaned forward, cradling his face in his hands. "Damn. I'm glad you thought of that! I didn't even think of an attack," said Ashcroft.

"Think nothing of it. The idea just came to me and I figured it would be a wise precaution. Trust me, if we had transporters on Earthforce vessels, we'd have been more effective as a military force in the past."

"True, but only until your enemies developed their own about five minutes after you gain the tech.," replied Ashcroft.

Hollifield leaned back and laughed, saying, "Have I told you that I like the way you think?"

His friend chuckled, "Nope, but I kind of got the idea!"

About half an hour later, Ro Laren and Thomas Riker entered the room. Ashcroft and Hollifield got up and shook their hands, ignoring the fact that both of them were in heavy Cardassian makeup and costume.

"Sorry for the charade, Captain, Mr. President, but I thought it was wise to keep it up while we're here.,' said Riker.

Hollifield nodded, "Good idea. The Tellurite freighter as well as the Corvellian transport arrived at the same time, so if there are spies here, at least we've been able to put confusion in their minds. Your ride back will be here in about twelve hours, so we need all the info you have quick."

"No rest for the weary, I take it.," said Laren.

"We'll sleep when we're dead. Right now, we have to prolong that fate as long as we can. So, what have you got for us," said Ashcroft, without emotion.

Riker placed a couple of data crystals into the reader and the screen came to life. "I'm downloading all the information that we know into the computer. I've wished we could have gotten more out to you before this, but the damned Cardassians have jammed up most of the frequencies."

Hollifield grunted and said, "That's to be expected. We're just glad to have gotten as much as we have. We've got a few new recruits that'll be joining you on the mission."

Riker said wistfully, "Wished we had some of those technomages that you've told me about."

Alwyn spoke up, "And so you have!"

Riker and Laren spun around in their chairs. Not missing a beat, Ashcroft turned to President Hollifield and asked, "So how long has he been in here?"

"He came in right behind Thomas and Ro. Let's just say you've had one all along, but I wanted to sneak him on Cardassia."

"Slick! So what have you got in addition to Laren and Riker's reports, Alwyn," asked Ashcroft.

Alwyn put forth his hand and produced a three dimensional display with his tech. "They're building new ships like mad. Apparently they either found or managed to salvage some of the old Jem'Hadar shipyards, so they've been busy building new ships. I also snuck into a facility where they are producing new Jem'Hadar warriors much faster than previously thought."

Riker nodded and said, "It seems like the Ragendora are behind this."

"I agree. Their technology is way ahead of any of ours, so it's to be expected. Alwyn, any idea as to how fast they are producing new warriors," said Ashcroft.

"Approximately three times faster than before. Mind you, it still takes them a while to fully mature. They've not sped up that process, only in the production capacity have they achieved this success."

Laren looked at Hollifield and said, "We need to act now to stop them!"

Hollifield shook his head. "We're not quite ready yet for that. We're still training new operatives, some from the old Martian underground,  
and some from Vir Cotto's Legions of Fire that aided us in liberating Centauri Prime. If we launch an insurrection, we need to pick the time and place to launch it, because we'll only have one shot at making it successful."

Laren inclined her head and sighed, "As much as I hate to say it, Mr. President, but you're right. So when should we expect these new operatives?"

Ashcroft took the question and answered it, "We'll be sending new agents your way over the next few weeks and months. Each will have coded instructions from us as to what we need, as well as any information we can send your way to help you out. How have you been doing in making any contact with the Cardassian underground?"

"We've had limited successes, mainly because they're not much of one. But we have made some contacts, and we're looking to expand them.," commented Riker.

Ashcroft sighed and said, "No one said that this would be easy, or quick. You guys have done extraordinary work, and I want you to send the same message to the agents there. It'll help boost morale. Your ship should be loaded shortly. We'll beam you on board, and Alwyn will create an illusion to make it seem like you are getting on board another ship."

Riker and Laren nodded and got up. Before they left, Hollifield said one last thing. "Just understand that we know all too well how difficult this is, and that it may seem like we may never be able to make all of your work pay off. We have plans in the offing to capitalize on the information you've sent us, but in order to make them work, we need as much as we can get. Godspeed and good luck to you both!"

They left, leaving only Alwyn, Ashcroft and Hollifield in the conference room. Alwyn said, "Good idea about the illusion, Captain. I'll head down to the docking pylons and be ready to cast the spell."

"Thanks, Alwyn." Alwyn left, and the two men returned to their chairs. They each uploaded the new information into their PADDs and began studying the new intelligence.

"You'd think we'd not have to cram for test anymore after graduating college," Hollifield mused.

Ashcroft snorted and said, "This makes me yearn for the days when I was studying Federation law at UNC. And I thought that was hard!"

They both chuckled ruefully and settled down to study.


	60. Chapter 60

**Chapter 60 **

**Disturbing Domestic Tranquility**

**San Francisco, Earth, United Federation of Planets **

**December 23, 2377 **

**12 noon**

Morden walked around the city as if he were a native. It was laid out differently than the one he remembered visiting with his late wife before the birth of their daughter. The Federation's city by the bay had been affected by the same sort of massive earthquake that pretty much wiped out the one he knew of, but this city hadn't also suffered from the neo-Catholic purge of the late 2040s. He remembered hearing the old joke that the Catholic leity did more damage to the gays and lesbians living in the city than the earthquake did. He smiled at the thought, as he thoroughly enjoyed chaos.

He was one of the few who knew the great truths about Human religions: each was started out, with noble intentions, by those who did not know they were influenced by the Vorlons. Moses, Jesus, Buddha, and Mohammad,to name a few, thought they were prophets of God, when in fact they were mere messengers of the Vorlons and their desire for order. Through his association with the Shadows, he'd learned that the Jesus story had been played out on at least two hundred different alien civilizations over the years. Of course, the Shadows were there to throw their monkey wrenches into those plans. It was the Shadows who secretly influnced those who were behind the Inquizitions, and it was the Shadows that were behind the rise of religious fundamentalism in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, leading to neo-religious purges in such sinful hot beds as Amsterdam, Rio de Jaineiro, Las Vegas, New York, Los Angeles and, of course, San Francisco.

Eventually, those purges failed, as they were bound to do. To the Shadows, religion was a straight jacket that bound up the limitless potential of the other races. It was a fatal flaw, to them, for a planet's evolution. However, they weren't afraid to warp it and abuse it to their own ends. He remembered seeing something about how some of the televangelists of the late 20th century had once been very different, until they encountered the Shadows, posing as the voice of God.

His smile faded as he reflected upon the fact that Sheridan and Delenn had driven off the Shadows and the Vorlons from their own galaxy. He wasn't around to see it, though, as he had been beheaded by that bastard, Londo Mollari, just as the Vorlons were approaching to wipe out the Shadow influence on Centauri Prime with their own planet killer. He wondered why the Ragendora had somehow pulled him from death to serve their purposes, but whenever he reflected upon what Mollari did to him, his wonders vanished, and the rage returned.

To him, the Ragendora made the Shadows look like amateurs. He could see now that the Shadows flaw was that they were not as patient as they needed to be in their preparations to conquer. They thrived too much in chaos, and it blinded them to the reality that wars are won and lost before they're ever fought, because preparation is essential. That is why the South lost to the North in the first American Civil War, and why the Shadows lost to the Alliance of Light in the last Shadow war.

He'd already found out that the Ragendora were patient, and had been planning their attacks on their Legendoran ancestors and their allies for eons. When the chance came to serve them, he willingly signed up without hesistation. He found that the Ragendora had also pulled many of the old Shadow operatives back into duty for them, and he was, at this very moment, on his way to meet with some of them to execute their plans for this Earth. Instead of simply wiping out the place, the Ragendora had decided to work to cripple from within.

He opened the door to the home and quickly entered. On the third floor of the abode were twelve people he had personally hand-selected to do his bidding in this city, and he smiled as they has assembled the equipment they would need for what they were about to embark on. He scoffed at Starfleet Security, as they were obviously too lax for their own good. He had the weird thought of wishing that Michael Garibaldi were in charge of Starfleet Security, so as to make this all the more challenging.

"So have you placed the devices where we need them to be to do the most damage," asked Morden of a petite blonde sitting on the couch.

"Yes, Morden, we've spread them all over the city. When the time is right, they'll hit the Federation harder than the Borg or anybody else had ever thought possible," replied the blonde with relish in her voice.

Morden smiled and got on with the meeting. The next day, they bought mag-lev train tickets to New York, a journey that took a mere leisurely two days on this particular line.

The next day, as they were entering the station in Dallas, Texas, the rail line suddenly powered down. Fortunately for them, the train was stopping anyway, and inertia allowed them to pull in without problem. Morden and the rest of his group thought nothing of it as they got off and proceeded to a station restaurant to eat. He wasn't surprised to find that the partons and employees of the restaurant were not worrying about food at that moment.

"We've just received word that Starfleet Headquarters, as well as the entire Federation Council complex, have been destroyed in a series of thermonuclear explosions. The loss of life is catastrophic, and exact numbers of those lost may never be fully known.," said one reporter on one of the video news channels. Those in the room were in tears and in stunned silence. Maggie, the blond who had answered Morden's question in the now-vaporized townhouse, said musingly, "If I had to guess, I think the terrorists used fusion bombs."

Morden nodded his head and said, "You may be right."

**DisneyWorld **

**Orlando, Florida **

**June 14, 2271 11pm**

Vice President Fabiana Santos was just wrapping up her address to the masses in front of the American exhibition in the World Showcase section of the ancient EPCOT themepark when the bullet smacked into her chest. The crowd gasped as the report from the rifle raced by the crowd, and the billowing blossom of red on Santos' chest made a mess of her white linen blouse. She fell hard onto the platform, never knowing what hit her. They rushed her to a nearby medlab unit, but it was too late. She had died as soon as she had been hit.

President Hollifield hurried back to EarthDome to get a handle on the situation, as well as make sure that the Earth Senate didn't appoint someone he didn't want as his successor. His shuttle was escorted down from space by two entire squadrons of Thunderbolts, and the entire Geneva spaceport was closed down to allow the president to get back to EarthDome safely.

He entered the Cabinet room without ceremony and got right down to business. "Ok, all I want to know is what happened and how a shooter could have gotten into that theme park. Anybody have any answers for me?"

His Attorney General, a fussy Norweigen named Olaf Shon, spoke up. "The EAI (Earth Alliance Intelligence) is conducting the investigation and should have a report finished within a few days. But, from what I can tell, the bullet that struck the vice president came from virtually close range!"

"That's impossible! No one had a rifle within ten thousand meters of the venue. I know, because we scanned the area. You tell me of a rifle that can hit a target like that from THAT far away," said General Penny Baumgartner, whose precise Oxford accent had a keen edge to it.

Hollifield slammed his fist on the table and yelled, "ENOUGH! I will not let this spin out of control into some sort of blame game. Now, I want answers and I want them in 48 hours, or I swear to God somebody's heads will roll because of this. Get on it and I don't want to hear from any of you until you have some answers. Dismissed!"  
The various ministers and their aides quickly made their way out of the room, with Baumgartner shutting the door behind her. He leaned back in the chair and asked aloud, "So what do your sensors tell you?"

A technomage named Astrud revealed himself at the same time as Alwyn did. Astrud was an outcast from the technomages, and a longtime friend of Alwyn's and Hollifield's. "I sensed this energy pattern from roughly two hundred meters in front of the platform." She produced a image in three dimensions in the palm of her hands.

Alwyn's face fell as he said, "Good Lord! That looks like a transporter signal."

Hollifield leaned back in his chair and hit a communications link. "Get me Dan Tanner, and tell him to meet me in my office ASAP. Tell him we have a new problem to worry about."

Astrud nodded and said, "My condolences, Mr. President."

Hollifield looked at the both of them and sighed. "Looks like we've just had a whole new element introduced into this war."


	61. Chapter 61

**Chapter 61 **

**12/25**

**New Forest City, North Carolina**

**North American Continent, Earth, United Federation of Planets **

**December 25, 2377 **

**12 noon**

Admiral Walter Graham was not a happy man, having been awakened the day before with the news that San Francisco, the home of Starfleet Command, Starfleet Academy, and the Federation government, had been nuked so throughly that even Oakland and San Jose were wiped out. Millions were dead, and others were in a panic. Not since the Breen sneak attack during the last year of the Dominion War had people on Earth been so scared. This was Paradise now, and people expected Starfleet to protect Earth from harm.

He had managed to cobble together a makeshift government to stablize things, and had put Earth under a state of emergency. Federation troops were scanning the planet to find any other nuclear devices, and were shocked to find hundreds of bombs all over the planet. New Forest City, the former capital of the Atlantic Alliance and second-largest city on the North American continent, had as many bombs as were exploded in San Francisco. Graham was pissed that all those bombs had gotten by his security forces, and he was headed to a meeting of his security staff with steam boiling out of his ears.

He stormed into the room, wasting a moment thinking it would be so satisfying to slam an old fashioned door right at that moment. The sliding doors shut back behind him and he yanked out a seat at the head of the conference table and plowed his hind quarters into the seat.

"So, care to tell me just how in the hell we got the most important city in the galaxy NUKED? My God, people! Do you realize how many ambassadors, Starfleet personnel, officers, and other talented people we lost because we didn't do our jobs?"

The members of his staff leaned forward and fidgetted, staying silent. Graham knew that they didn't have the answers, because he knew that they were the best he had and even they didn't know how it had happened.

He walked up and went to the window, taking in the view of the Appalachian mountains in the background of the New Forest City skyline. Centuries ago, this was just another small town in a series of rural communities. Then the third World War came, and many of the major cities in the southeast were devastated, and the refugees from the destruction found their way into the foothills of western North Carolina. In the nearly three hundred years since the founding of New Forest City, the small town had become a city that dwarfed New York City.

As he turned around, the communication screen came on. Commodore Hashimoto came on, and her face looked as if she'd just lost a loved one. "Admiral, I have some very bad news...Tokyo...has been nuked," she said with tears in her eyes, and she missed the cutoff button as she put her head down on her desk and broke down in her office in Okinawa.

"Damn," he raged. "All right, I want any kind of massive explosive material found and beamed out into space ASAP. Scan Earth with a fine tooth comb as many times as necessary, because if we get another city nuked, and it's not this one, I'll skin the lot of you! Dismissed!"

Walking into the room as the others were leaving were ISA President John Sheridan and Michael Garibaldi, and their faces were downcast as well. "Admiral, we came as fast as we could get here when we heard the news.," Sheridan said.

Graham nodded his head and gestured the two to be seated, then got up and walked around the room. "So you're read the readings we picked up from the explosions?"

Garibaldi spoke up. "We ran it through our scanners and it's confirmed: these were fusion bombs that were used. The kilotonnage looks like standard Earth issue."

"So they came from your Earth," grumbled Graham.

"It appears so. I've sent a message to President Hollifield and asked him to look into matters. It may be a while, because we received word that Vice President Fabiana Santos was assassinated, and other ministers were targetted, but luckily security forces were able to protect them with only minimal loss of life. President Hollifield is in EarthDome under heavy security, last we heard.," replied Sheridan, who was clearly taken aback by this development.

"I've known Hollifield for a long time, and when he finds out that these were Earthforce nukes that were used...," Garibaldi added.

Graham sighed and said, "Look, I've got a world full of people who are used to feeling safe and secure, and they are panicking about these nuke attacks! I need some answers and I needed them a half hour ago! Whatever you guys can do to help us out, I'd be more than grateful to you for."

"We'll do whatever we can, Admiral. If I had to guess, this is an attempt by the Ragendora and their allies to splinter us. We cannot allow that.," Sheridan replied.

Later, as the two of them left Starfleet's emergency headquarters, they walked down towards the old town. They were passing Smith's Drug Store when Garibaldi caught sight of someone he knew. He elbowed Sheridan and pointed to a man looking into the window of Butler's Olde Pawn Shop. "Is that who I think it is," said Sheridan.

"Yeah, and I'm gonna kick that son of a bitch's ass!." Garibaldi said as he took off running down the street towards the person. The person smiled as he hit something on his watch and beamed out. Garibaldi skidded to a stop, and Sheridan bumped into him as he came to a stop.

"Dammit! I thought Morden was dead," yelled Sheridan.

"Yeah, I thought Londo Mollari had him beheaded, but I guess somehow the fraggin' Ragendora can bring back the dead as well.," Garibaldi replied.

On board a cloaked Cardassian destroyer, Morden walked back to Gul Dukat's office, entering to see the leader of the new government lighting up a thoroughly Earthlike cigar.

"A little too early to light a victory cigar, don't you think," Morden dryly said.

Dukat laughed and said, "Maybe, but it's best to enjoy the little victories, because it can help you plan for the really big celebration when you win the war!"

Morden smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "I guess seeing San Francisco and Tokyo vaporized had a certain satisfaction for you, I take it?"

"Indeed. But what I want is to enslave that damned world and turn their putrid paradise into a planetary slave labor camp that would make what we did on Bajor look like...what was that cute Human phrase?...small potatoes?"

Morden's grin was toothy as he said, "You may just get your wish, Dukat. You may just get your wish."


	62. Chapter 62

**Chapter 62 **

**Let Wildstar Be Wildstar**

**Conference Room **

**Deep Space Nine Space Station **

**January 1, 2378**

Derek Wildstar paced the room as he waited for the Klingon chancellor Martog and Romulan praetor Selman Vak to arrive to hear what he had to propose. Captain Abraham Avatar watched him from his seat but said nothing as he was lost in his own thoughts. He knew what Wildstar had in mind, and he wasn't sure if it would work, but things were starting to get desperate. They were still stunned at the destruction of San Francisco and Tokyo, and there was plenty of fear that the enemy may try such sneak attacks on the Earth Alliance, as well as on other worlds of the Federation.

Captain Sharon Marsden, the new captain of the Federation starship _Enterprise-E_, came in with her compatriot Captain Stephen Ashcroft of the _Wildstar_ and Captain Alberto Suarez off the _Yamato II_. Despite the difference in age and temperment, Wildstar and Suarez had bonded, and he knew he needed his support to make this work.

"Well, Captain Wildstar, what you have propsed is risky at best and suicidal at worst, but it makes a whole hell of a lot of sense. We've been too long on the defensive, and we've paid for it. With Starfleet Command having other priorities right now, the enemy won't expect us to strike.," said Marsden.

Avatar brushed back a lock of white hair away from his eyes as he responded. "Indeed. Thanks to the intelligence we've gained from our sources on Cardassia Prime, we know where we need to strike along the outer colonies to do the most damage. Anything we can do to hinder the enemy and give us time to recover from our losses and prepare for a sustained offensive will be to our advantage."

Just then, Martog and Vak came in to the room, with their military aides. They sat down at the other end of the conference table, with newly promoted Captain Worf also in attendance.

"So, young Wildstar," said Martog, with a hint of anticipation in his voice, "you want to tell us about this plan to attack the enemy is? With everything that's been happening lately, I and my forces have been chomping at the bit to strike at the enemy. I also know that the Romulans have been eager to strike as well." He nodded to Vak and she took over from there.

"My forces are at your disposal, Captain Wildstar. We wish to end this war as quickly as possible, with as thorough a defeat as we can impose upon our enemies. So, please, tell us of your proposal."

Wildstar went over to the data screen and punched up an image of the Sulvaka system, inside Cardassian space. "We received word that there is another Nor-class space station that's been abandoned in orbit of Sulvaka V. The station is called Orak Tor. It's fully functional, with an intact antimatter power core and enough weapons to wipe out an entire fleet. The Dominion had to abandon the place due to the allied advance in the latter stages of the Dominion War, and they've not been back since. The first stage of my plan is to take over the station and use it as our base of operations for the next phase, which will involve a series of hit and run attacks all along the border to weaken our enemy. "

Wildstar pressed a button on the console and another world appeared on the screen. "The third stage of the plan will be the most difficult.  
This is Pidari VII. From what we've gathered, it's planned to be the main staging area for an all-out invasion of the Federation. It's heavily guarded, and we aren't sure how many ships we'll encounter there when we launch our attack. However, I've been in contact with the Earth Alliance as well as the Interstellar Alliance, and they are sending a sizeable force to assist us."

"What about the Gamma Quadrant? Surely the Jem'Hadar and their allies can strike us from there," said Martog with concern.

Avatar held out a placating hand and said, "We've looked into that, and we have plans for that as well."

Entering the room at that moment were two men who couldn't be more different. Captain Matthew Gideon of the EAS _Excalibur_ and Leader Deslok of the Gamilons took seats in the middle of the conference table. "Sorry we're late, but we just got back from our intelligence gathering missions in the Gamma Quadrant. Captain Wildstar, have you gotten to the part yet where we attack the Jem'Hadar in their own backyard," said Gideon.

"In fact, I was just about to discuss that. From earlier missions, we've learned that the Vorta, who are assisting the Jem'Hadar and the Ragendora, have built up several shipyards, Jem'Hadar warrior cloning facilities, ketrocel white mining operations, and bases of operation.Our mission, which will be lead jointly by Gideon and Deslok, will concentrate on taking down these facilities. The first phase of that plan is to take over this station," and Wildstar pointed to the map of a world with an orbiting space station, "in orbit over Crubelli IV. From there, we plan on marshalling our forces to launch several waves of attacks on nearby facilities, before going after the larger bases of operation in the Intrako and Rinka systems."

"A bold plan, I must say! I am immensly impressed with your tactical planning, Wildstar. When do we begin," commented Vak.

"In seven days time, we'll have all the forces join us here to launch the respective invasions. We'll go after Orak Tor from three different attack vectors, just in case they've boarded the station. Gideon's told me of a new invention from the Interstellar Alliance: portable jump gates. We'll assemble one once we've taken Orak Tor, and bring our forces in that way from a similar one that will be stationed near Deep Space Nine. The Legendora have been busily helping the ISA in preparing these new portable jump gates, and once we've established beach heads in enemy territory, we'll start bringing them into the fight.," replied Wildstar.

"One thing before we adjourn.," commented Worf. "What of the Legendora? Have they finished their forces that they have been constructing? We've not had much word from them lately, and, to be bluntly honest, I'm growing concerned!"

Avatar took the question. "I understand, Worf. Derek's brother will be here in two days to report on what's been going on in orbit over Iscandar. Last time I was there, they had already assembled massive space docks and had already completed some smaller attack craft.  
Hopefully we'll learn more at that meeting."

Worf nodded his head and replied, "Good. Since the loss of Quo'nos, I've been itching to get at the enemy."

"So have we all, Worf. So have we all," said Wildstar.


	63. Chapter 63

**Chapter 63 **

**The Gathering of Powerful Forces**

**On board EDS _Excalibur_**

**January 3, 2378 **

**11am**

Commander John Matheson called out, "Captain on deck!", as Captain Matthew Gideon walked onto the bridge. _Excalibur_ was still docked on the second upper pylon of Deep Space Nine, and they would be for the next five days as they stocked up on supplies and planned out what was being called Operation Blinding Light. Gideon sat down at his chair and took the morning report from his executive officer.

"Sir, Alex Wildstar's ship is due within the hour, and the meeting is scheduled at 1400 hours.," said Matheson.

Gideon nodded and said, "Good. We need to know when those new ships will be coming into the line, because with what we've got now, this is too close to a suicide mission for comfort. How many Whitestars are we expecting to join up?"

Matheson walked over to a station and brought up the fleet manifest. "So far, we have 60 Whitestars in system and we're expecting another 80 in the next two days. Also, we're expecting eight Omega-class destroyers, six Warlock-class destroyers, twelve Hyperion-class heavy cruisers, and a variety of other forces from the Alliance."

Gideon raised an eyebrow and said dryly, "You going for a promotion, John?"

Matheson shrugged and said, "Well, it would be nice to have my own ship. Then I could have my own exec to run around!"

Gideon snorted and got up from his chair, looking out the window at the station. In his view, a vast array of Klingon and Romulan ships, as well as scores of Federation ships, could be seen. Docked in the pylon next to the _Excalibur_ was the _Yamato_, and he marvelled at the massive refit the ship had undergone.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that Wildstar's ship looked like the result of a battleship getting nasty with an old airliner.," Gideon said.

"Yeah, but she packs quite a punch, sir. They say that they've made her wave motion gun even more powerful, and if that doesn't scare the enemy out of a year's growth, I don't know what will.," Matheson relied.

"It's tough enough as it is, but the shield technology from the Federation makes it even more difficult to take out."

"But you'd surely find a way to blast them out of the sky if they were on the other side, right," Matheson joked.

Gideon responded dryly, "Of course! I have a reputation to uphold! You have the bridge, commander. I'll be in my quarters checking out reports before the meeting."

As he made his way to his quarters, he passed Durenna Nafeel's quarters. She was the last of her race, who were wiped out by the Shadows in the final days of the Shadow War. Unbeknownst to her, Gideon and Galen had sought to protect her as best they could, but they could not stop her from volunteering to gather intelligence on Cardassia Prime. She had served as a civilian on his ship during the plague, and he still considered her one of his critical assets on the ship.

Dureena may have been a thief, but she was a damned good one. A member of the Thieves' Guild, she had knowledge that no Earthforce officer had, and she'd proven how valuable she was on numerous missions. He knew she'd make it back, but he worried nontheless.

He finally made it to his quarters and took off his jacket as the door slid closed behind him. Instead of going to the reports lying on his desk, he went to a cabinet in his quarters and pressed a button on the side of it. A door opened on the side of the wall and a box was slid out on a shelf. Gideon took the box over to his desk, opened it, and a voice spoke to him.

The box said, "Your time is near."

Gideon's face looked puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"

"You have a destiny. You must meet it, or all your efforts will fail!"

"Are you suggesting that we're not coming back from the mission?"

The box was silent.

"Look, when I won you years ago in a poker game, I didn't know what to expect. Since then, you've come in handy many times, but one thing is for certain: you're not always right."

"Do not argue with a box. It is most unwise!" And the box somehow managed to close itself.

Gideon snorted and said, "So much for an apocalypse box!" He put the box back on the shelf and pressed the button to hide it again.

Later on in the day, Gideon made his way down to the conference room, encountering the commanding officer of the station, General Kira Nurys, on his way there.

"Afternoon, General! How are things in Ops," said Gideon.

"Busy as hell. That's not unusual around here, mind you, but with hundreds of ships orbiting the station, I haven't been to my quarters to sleep in two days."

"Sleep's for when you're dead. And with the way this war's going, that could happen any day now."

Kira laughed shortly, "Well, aren't we a barrel full of fun today!" as they entered the conference room.

Sitting at the table, in addition to Derek Wildstar and Abraham Avatar, were Derek's brother Alex and Queen Starsha, and they nodded as the two came into the room. "So, if I may be so bold, when do we get those Legendora ships to help us break this war open and go our way?"

"We have about two more weeks until the full fleet is complete, but we have ships ready to go now. Genon told me before we left that the first ships will leave a day after we do, so they should be here tomorrow.," said Alex Wildstar.

Avatar spoke up and said, "Gideon, it's been decided that I shall be the overall commander of the operation. Derek Wildstar will be the commander of the Alpha Quadrant theater, while you will command the Gamma Quadrant. Alex Wildstar will be under you as commander of the Legendoran forces that will be going with you on your assault. Ben Sisko will serve under Derek Wildstar as the commander of the Legendoran forces in Alpha quadrant. Once we have taken Orak Nor, we will establish it as our main base of operations in Alpha theater.

Avatar got up and walked over to the screen. "We have some good news. We've found Empock Nor, the station that was abandoned years ago. Kira mentioned it to me and we quietly sent a crew there to reactivate it and bring it back here. Chief Miles O'Brien worked wonders on the place, and the station will be here shortly. Gideon, you'll use it as your main base of operations in your theater. O'Brien says that it will go through the wormhole safely with no damage. We've stocked it full of supplies and munitions, so you'll be ready to go."

Gideon nodded and said, "But I should expect some bugs nontheless, because this is Cardassian tech we're talking about here, aren't we?"

Avatar turned to Derek Wildstar and said, "You didn't tell me you had another brother, Derek! Yes, we're aware of that, and, in addition to O'Brien, we're lending you some of our robots, led by IQ-9."

Gideon was nonplussed. "Robots? Well, this is something I never expected to work with in my military career!"

Derek moved to boost Gideon's confidence in the robots. "Trust me when I say that IQ-9's saved our bacon many times in our voyages, even though he can be annoying as hell sometimes."

"Annoyances I can deal with. Very well, Captain Avatar, _Excalibur_ will be ready to launch when you are," concluded Gideon.

Avatar replied, "Thank you, Gideon. Dismissed!"

Gideon walked back to his ship and headed back to his bridge to inform his exec of what their orders were. He wasn't surprised in the least to see Matheson shake his head when he mentioned IQ-9. "Robots? What the hell are we going to do with robots?"

"That's my thoughts exactly, commander. But I'll leave them on the station, just to be safe. We'll put the station just inside the wormhole and establish a defensive perimeter as quickly as possible. My guess is that once the Jem'Hadar find out about the station, they'll likely want to give us a very hostile welcome to the neighborhood.," Gideon replied.


	64. Chapter 64

**Chapter 64 **

**The Taking of Orak Tor**

**Sulvaka V, Sulvaka system**

** January 11, 2378 **

**4pm**

_Yamato_ docked hard with the upper pylon of the abandoned station as the other ships spread out in a defensive formation to protect the flagship of the Alpha Quadrant campaign. Wildstar was beside his team of Star Force members, EDF Marines, Starfleet engineers, as well as Earthforce techs as they attempted to open the airlock. All of them were in spacesuits as they carefully began to open the airlock. Within minutes, the airlock opened up and they were able to enter the station.

"Atmosphere is existant, but not quite breathable yet. We'll have to go to Ops to bring it online., " said Commander Reginald Barkley, who was in charge of the Starfleet engineers. He walked with a tricorder in his hand behind some Marines. His own phaser rifle was slung over his shoulder, ready if he needed it. Barkley felt some of the intense fear that used to paralyze him, but now just kept him on his toes. He had come a long way from his days on the old _Enterprise-D_, and now he looked at a mission like this without fear, but an odd sense of exhiliration.

Wildstar nodded as he led the team down each corridor, and tracked the other teams as they spread out all around the station. So far, they had no trace of life signs on their scanners, but Wildstar worried that there might be sleeper Jem'Hadar soldiers in stasis, programmed to awaken when intruders boarded.

Sergeant Burroughs called in over the secured link. "Sir, we've reached Ops, and command and control looks deserted. All consoles and screens are off, and energy is a minimal levels."

Wildstar replied, "Good, Burroughs. Be careful, though. This place might be booby trapped still!"

"Yes sir! I've made sure the men are especially aware of this. It's been a major concern of mine, and I've run the men hard through the sims on the holodeck to prepare them."

"Good thinking, Burroughs. Knox did the same thing. He should be there shortly."

"Confirmed, sir. His men just arrived. We'll do what we can here and await your arrival. Burroughs out."

An hour later, Barkley and Wildstar stood in Ops, and Wildstar was impressed already with the commander's ability to get the station up and running, even if it were a minimal level. He went into the office, which was bare except for a desk, three chairs, and a couple of couches off to the side. The desk came to life as the consoles and screens came to life.

Stephen Sandor, his ship's engineer, joined him in the office, and nodded as he saw the systems come online. "We're in luck. From what I gathered, they left this place in a hurry and just powered things down. Barkley and his team are changing the security codes and access to primary systems to prevent the Cardassians from locking us out. EAS _Nautilus_ has hard docked to lower pylon two and is ready to send up supplies when we're ready."

Wildstar nodded and said, "What about the portable jumpgate?"

"_Magellan_ just jumped in and the Explorer-class ship is unfolding it as we speak. Captain Hazir says he'll have it up and operational in two hours."

"Good. Sandor, I want shields and weapons systems online ASAP. Make that your team's top priority!"

Sandor chopped his head in a brisk nod. "Yes, Wildstar." and headed out of the room.

Captain Marsden came on the comm system. "Wildstar, we're tracking some Jem'Hadar fighters heading towards us on an angle. Recommend we wait and see if they attack before we initiate combat. If we can keep them in the dark about what we're up to, so much the better. We're going to yellow alert, just in case."

"Thank you, Captain. How long do you estimate until they arrive?"

Marsden looked down at her console and said, "Estimate five hours before they can enter the system. But from our scans, they aren't directly headed here. If they pass us by undetected, I'd like permission to send some of my fighters to tail them."

"You have it, Captain. Keep me informed."

"Thank you, sir. _Enterprise-E_ out!" The link cut off.

Hours later, they watched the fighters pass by without flinching. Wildstar was tempted to go after them, but resisted because he wanted to wait until his complete force was here at the staging area as well as making sure the station was fully operational. Marsden's fighters returned after the Jem'Hadar forces had gone out of range.

Marsden and Wildstar were in his office late that night as the teams were busy bringing the station back on line, and they looked over the readings from the various scanners. They had a meeting early the next morning with the commanders of all the ships in their task force.

"We were lucky today, sir. I was expecting to fight our way on here.," remarked Marsden.

"I know, which worries me. I've told Sandor and Barkley to go over this place with a fine tooth comb as many times as needed to be sure this place is secure. I'm just glad we've not found any. But our luck won't hold out forever.," Wildstar replied.

The next day, ships began to jump in via the jump gate, and the space around the station soon became crowded with ships. Wildstar sent smaller task forces comprising of Klingon and Romulan ships out on patrol, ordering them to cloak and maintain radio silence. Barkley and Sandor had the station's defenses up and running as well as the shields, and the power core was fully functional. As he laid down to sleep beside his love, Nova Forrester, in his quarters on the new station, he said a prayer of thanks for the good luck he'd had so far. He knew all too well that it would soon run out.


	65. Chapter 65

**Chapter 65 **

**Setting Up Shop on the Other Side of the Tunnel**

**Aboard Empock Nor **

**Dortelia system **

**January 14, 2378**

Gideon entered his office aboard the station shaking his head, looking at the Starfleet commander who would be in charge of the station while he led the fleet to Crubelli IV for the first stage of the attack. "Commander Genabe, I have never been so frustrated with anyone or anything in all my life! That robot, IQ-9, is...well, he's damned stubborn is what he is!"

"I take it sir that his repairs on the photon torpedo tubes did not meet with your approval," said Commander Lashonda Genabe.

"Oh, he did a good job, alright! When he was done, he chased one of my female techs down the corridor, trying to flirt with her!"

Genabe burst out laughing, then silenced it as best as she could when Gideon shot her a very humorless stare. She coughed then said, "Sir, if I may, I'll talk with IQ-9 and try and get him to shape up and meet your standards of performance."

Gideon replied with only a short nod as he headed back out of his office, through Ops, and towards the turbolift, which took him down to the level where the conference room was. When he got there, Captain Alex Wildstar and Chief Miles O'Brien were waiting for him. "Captain Wildstar, what's the status of the Legendoran forces?"

"We're ready to go whenever you are. _Hercules_ is coming through the wormhole as we speak, and should be docking at upper pylon three within the hour. They'll add to our offensive capabilities in this theater."

O'Brien interjected, "Sir, we're still getting this station back operational, and I'll need a few more days to bring it up to where you want it to be."

"You have three days, Chief. Just do the best you can, because we need to start the first wave of attacks before the Jem'Hadar know we're here. Minbari ships will be here in a couple of days to provide for defense,as well as other ISA ships, so we should be good to go as far as defending the station."

"Aye, sir! It'll be hard, but we'll get it done. What about the station orbiting Crubelli IV," replied O'Brien.

Gideon sat back in his chair and sighed. "That'll be a tough one. We need to jump in relatively close, blow whatever opposition we have waiting for us there, and take the station before they can set off the self-destruct sequence. That's why I'm taking most of the Whitestars,  
Klingon and Romulan ships, as well as several of the _Defiant_-class ships. That's why the _Hercules_ is so essential to the operation. If we can get whatever intelligence they have there, it'll give us a leg up in this war."

Wildstar nodded and said, "Agreed. I've got the Tenth EDF fleet ready to go whenever you need us, Captain, and Deslok is ready to join us as well."

Gideon nodded and said, "Good. Dismissed." O'Brien and Wildstar left, but Gideon called to Wildstar before he could get out the door. "Alex,wait a second. I need to have a word."

O'Brien went ahead without notice as Wildstar stepped back into the room. "Yes, sir?"

"I don't trust this Deslok character. I don't know him well enough to trust him, and I need someone to keep an eye on him should he get out of line. Are you up for the task?"

"Yes, I am, Captain. That's why I've added his forces to my fleet. I don't completely trust him yet myself, but he's come through for us so far."

"I know, but, Alex, I've been betrayed enough in my life by people I thought I could count on. Just do me a favor and keep an eye out for him, ok?"

Wildstar nodded and said, "Yes, sir! I'll keep him under watch."

Gideon dismissed Wildstar and Alex made his way back to his ship, the _Galaxia_, where he met up with Deslok and his aide, Talan.

Deslok got right to the point. "He doesn't trust me, does he?"

Wildstar was caught short by this. "No, he doesn't. I don't think he trust anybody, not completely."

Deslok shrugged his shoulders and waved his hand dismissing the concern. "I'll manage. So, are we going to Crubelli IV or does Gideon have other plans for us?"

"No, we're staying here for the time being. We'll stand defense of this place until he gets back with the intellgence from the space station there. From what we know, it is a major hub of activity for the Vorta and the Jem'Hadar. The planet itself has no sentient life whatsoever,  
but Gideon wants an overwhelming force there just in case there are defenses on the planet."

Talan added, "So we're being saved for the big punch, so to speak?"

"Indeed. Gideon wants to use us for some massive hit and run attacks, which we can't do until we have targets to go after. Plus, he wants to check out those Legendoran ships and see how they do in combat before committing to using them in the battle.," replied Wildstar.

Deslok said wistfully, "My forces will be ready, and I will earn Gideon's trust, or as much of it as I can. I cannot completely atone for all I've done in the past, but I can make up for as much of it as I can."

Meanwhile, back in the conference room, Captain Will Riker had just entered the conference room. "Gideon? Will Riker, of the _Hercules_."

"Pleasure to meet you. How's your wife doing?"

Riker nodded soberly, "As best that can be expected. Bester's handiwork is going to take some time to recover from. Gideon, if we find that bastard, I want a piece of him."

Gideon replied, "That's not our mission right now, but if we stumble upon him, let's just say he might find his way to your brig."

"That's all I ask. So when do we strike?"

Gideon stood up and looked at the tactical display, then turned back to Riker. "Three days from now, we leave for the Crubelli system. We hit hard and fast and take that station. If we lose it, then things get a lot harder for us."

"We'll get the job done, Gideon. I can't speak for the rest of the fleet, but I can speak for my ship."

Gideon nodded and said, "Get some rest, Will, because I have a feeling we'll all need it."


	66. Chapter 66

**Chapter 66 **

**Victory on the Seventh Wave**

**Command and Control, Observation Dome **

**Babylon 5 Space Station **

**June 22, 2271 **

**2:15pm**

Captain Elizabeth Lochley was getting off the floor when the sixth wave of Ragendoran ships began to make a run on the station and the fleet.They had taken some losses, but the _Freedom_ and the _Liberty_ were still in the fight, as well as the handfuls of Federation, Klingon, and Romulan ships that had come through Sector 14. They had lost a lot of fighters as well as twenty-two Whitestars, but it was clear that the improvements that the Legendorans had made to their ships were working wonders. The station still had not been breached and they had managed to land heavy blows to each of the first five waves of attacks.

This time, though, it looked like the Ragendorans were bringing up their capital ships. Huge, dark brownish ships that looked like smoothed over giant asteroids began to pelt the fleet with laser fire. Klingon Birds of Prey swept over the enemy's right flank and took out several of the smaller support vessels, and damaged several of the capital ships.

The sixth wave was being beaten back and it looked like the enemy were retreating when jump points began to form behind the station. "Damn, the seventh wave is coming from our rear! Set defense grid for long-range dispersion fire and get those ships turned around. How long until they arrive," said Lochley.

One of the techs in the Dome, Rossinger, responded, "Ten minutes, Captain. But scanners indicate that other ships are appearing to our front as well."

Lochley looked around and saw more jump points. That was when it hit her: the first six waves were designed to weaken them, while the seventh and succeeding waves were meant to do the real work. She got a readout of the numbers of ships and managed to suppress a groan as the report indicated the entire force was twice as large as the other six waves combined. Things looked very bleak, and she thought of her lover, Matthew Gideon, and wondered how he'd take her loss, which surely seemed inevitable.

However, the fates seemed to be turning their way, as ships began to appear out of warp in front and behind the station. They looked to be those of the Earth Defense Force, but she was puzzled, because she thought that they had been all wiped out.

"Sir, those are EDF ships, but I am not able to get through to them. They have split into two groups and are heading towards the enemy on both flanks.," said another tech, Indrasingh.

"Are they powering up wave motion guns," Lochley asked.

"Unable to tell...wait one...yes! They are powering up and preparing to fire. Should be able to fire within a minute."

"Keep trying to hail them, and put down blast shields. Activate photon suppression screens to block out the glare. From what I've been told, when they shoot that thing off, it's brighter than a fusion bomb blast.," added Lochley.

The EDF ships got into position to blast the Ragendoran ships, which were already trying to spread out. However, it was too late, as the EDF ships fired off their main guns, and the powerful beams engulfed the fleet in a gleaming surge of white energy, melting and vaporizing the enemy on both flanks.

The Ragendoran ships that hadn't been caught up in the maelstrom from the wave motion cannons tried to make a suicide run at the station, but the Starfleet ships made quick work of them, and _Freedom_ and _Liberty_ teamed up to take down the last capital ship as it tried to retreat away.

All of a sudden, quiet slammed down in the Observation Dome, and Lochley looked around at her techs and saw in their faces the same amazement that she felt. She turned back around and looked out the window again, covered at the moment by the blast doors, and breathed a long sigh of relief. Her legs buckled for a moment, but she managed to regain her strength.

"Sir, we're getting a message from the lead ship of the EDF fleet. It's from...IQ-9000? Who is that," said Indrasingh.

"I don't care. Put them through.," said Lochley.

On the display at the main station came a visual of a robot similar to that of IQ-9 aboard _Yamato_. "Greetings. The Legendora gave us orders to come here and aid you in the station's defense. We are sending you our command codes and submit to your authority, Captain Lochley."

Lochley managed to focus long enough to say, "Confirmed, IQ-9000. We'll have new orders for you shortly. Standby."

Just then, the Klingon commander came online and asked, "Captain, am I crazy, or did we just get saved by an entire fleet of robotized ships?"

"You're not crazy, K'tan. I don't know why they're here, but I am glad they are.," replied Lochley.

"And here I was making plans for the warrior's feast when I made it to Stovokor! Well, maybe the gods have decided to keep us alive a while longer, and today wasn't such a good day to die.," said K'Tan.

"From what I've seen, there's never a good day to die.," mused Lochley.

Later, in the War Room, Lochley and K'Tan were joined by Romulan commander Sanlik Paetom and Starfleet Captain Siobhan Hollingsworth off _Voyager_, who had replaced Chakotay as he had been transferred to a new command. Captain Twanissa Hudson from the _Freedom_ joined them as well,but the absence of the commanding officer of the Liberty reminded them of the price of the battle.

"The XO from the _Liberty_ says that Captain Borash will live, but he'll need to go back to Earth to treat his injuries. He was severely burned when his console blew up in front of him. We're not sure if he'll be able to see again.," said a very sober Hudson.

"A pity, because while he was only commanding the ship for a short time, he was an excellent captain. So, what do you plan on doing with this newly arrived gift, Captain Lochley," said Hollingsworth.

"For now, I have them on patrol duty, being escorted by what remains of our fighters. We lost fifty percent of them, and Earth is having a hard time refilling our bays. They have the Thunderbolts, but not the qualified pilots.,' replied Lochley.

Hollingsworth looked down for a moment, composing her thoughts, then offered up an idea. "What if we trained some of our shuttle pilots to fly the Thunderbolts? We have to go back through Sector 14 anyway for rotation anyway, so why don't I send the suggestion that we have our pilots trained on them in our holodecks, then here when you get the new fighters?"

Lochley nodded and said, "Thank you, Captain. I'm not sure when we'll get them, but at least we'll have trained bodies to fly them. Let me know what Starfleet Command says."

After the meeting adjourned, she made her way back to her office to finish up some paperwork. Hudson followed her there because there was more paperwork for her as well.

"Never ends, does it? The paperwork," said Hudson.

"Nope, but tonight, I don't mind it so much.," replied Lochley.

Hudson said, "I don't either, not after today. So what else will pop up next?"

Lochley sighed, "I'm almost afraid to ask!" The two laughed as they set about wrapping up the paperwork.


	67. Chapter 67

**Chapter 67 **

**Methods to the Madness**

**Royal Palace **

**Queentown, Iscandar **

**Time Unknown**

Earth Alliance President Garrison Hollifield walked into the room with a purpose. He had finally gotten off Earth after all the mess with the assassination of his vice president, Fabiana Santos, and he had been bogged down in political crap ever since. He managed to push through his choice of vice president, Senator Penelope Telez-Colon from Mexico, and managed to brief her on everything she needed to know about the job and for covering for him while he was away. He loved his staff, because they had been with him through the rise of President Santiago and his assassination, the brutal Clark years, and then rebuilding years under Luchenko and now himself. Loyalty was such a hard thing to come by, but he cherished the people he had covering his back in Earthdome.

Queen Starsha sat at her desk and looked over a report, not noticing who had entered the room. Hollifield wrapped on the back of a chair and startled her.

"President Hollifield! I'm sorry. I didn't know you had come in.," she said.

"No problem. Listen, I just wanted to check with you before the meeting about what the Legendorans are up to concerning the war."

Starsha nodded and gestured for him to sit down. "What would you like to know?"

"Basically why they wanted those telepaths that we had in stasis. I know somewhat about what they are doing with the former rogues, Borg, and technomages, but why did they want those telepaths? We've tried everything we could think of to revive them, even to the point of bringing in a couple of technomages to assist us with no luck."

"I wish I had some answers for you, Garrison. I really wish I knew, but I've grown to trust these people. They brought me back to life to serve them, and I am in their debt. Why should I question their motives?"

"Because, Starsha, it's always a good idea to question everything, even if only for argument's sake, says a wise and intelligent teacher I once had in high school."

Starsha stood up, looked out the window, and said, "I can see your point. I know that it seems like the Legendorans are like the Vorlons in the sense that they are in charge of the side of light. However, their intentions are much more nobler than those of the Vorlons."

"Care to let me in on them? Because I need to know what they want from us.," said Hollifield.

Starsha sighed and said, "They want to leave."

Hollifield looked nonplussed. "What do you mean by 'want to leave'?"

"They are a very old and tired race. The only reason they haven't left yet is because they didn't want to leave the Ragendorans here to create havoc all across the universes. They tire of the constant building of forces and maintenance and just the simple tasks of keeping their civilization going."

Hollifield got up and joined her at the window, looking out and contemplating what she said for a moment. He then said, "So, what do they mean by 'leaving'?"

Starsha said, "They want to die."

"What? I don't understand, Starsha. They have bent over backwards to help us, just so they can commit ritual suicide?"

"Yes. They have done all that can be done. They've traveled beyond the stars and galaxies, and beyond the realms of time and space. They are immortal, so to speak, but they wish to end that."

Hollifield walked back to his seat and sat down, looking at the floor. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "All my public life, Starsha,has been dedicated to preserving life. Yes, I've had to take lives in battle and in other circumstances, but I've only done so as a last resort. There is a saying, 'Some must be sacrificed if all are to be saved'."

"And that is what we must do for the Legendorans! They fear that the longer they go on, the more and more they will be tempted to go down the road of their prodigal descendants. They fear for their sanity, Garrison, and they want a release! All they ask for us is to help them achieve one last, complete victory over the Ragendorans. Sheridan knew the way with the Vorlons and the Shadows, as Delenn told me a while ago,but we must convince the Ragendorans to join their brethren on the other side of life."

"You mean part of this is to convince the Ragendorans to kill themselves as well? Starsha, this is madness! I can't even begin to tell you how puzzling this is to me," Hollifield said exasperatedly.

"Because they were affected by the madness of an overly long life. They gave into the temptations that infinite power has on beings such as they are, and they have done so much damage because all they seek is to be gods themselves. They did not create the universes, but they seek to fill the role of creator."

Entering the room was the Legendoran, Genon, and he bowed to Hollifield and Starsha. "What do you have to say about all of this, Genon? I am having a hard time coming to terms with assisting with this.," said Hollifield.

Genon replied, "I know it's difficult for the short-lived to understand the burdens of those of us who are long-lived. We've had to give up the simple emotions of life that you enjoy, and instead wandered time and space to help those of you who are young to become greater than you dare dream.

"But we have come to an end. More and more, my people are restless and tire of their task, and the constant battles with the Ragendorans sap our energy further. All we wish is to lay down our burdens and pass on the responsibility of looking after the younger races to those ready for the task. We feel that those of you, as part of this alliance, are up to the task."

Hollifield began to see some of the logic behind what Genon was saying, but still could not accept letting an entire race die. "How can I live with myself if I let all of you die?"

"There is a time when a child must accept the fact that his or her parents are not immortal, and that time is always the hardest. You're lucky, Garrison, to not have to face that fact. Yes, your father is mentally ill and is institutionalized and your mother is in prison for her crimes during her service in the Psi Corps, but they still draw breath.," Genon gently replied.

"So, when we win the war, how will you go about 'killing' yourselves," he asked.

"We will gather at the beginning of it all, and let the light within us fade out. I would like for you to be there, as well as many of the others who have helped us through all of this."

"Ok. I'll do it. But before you go, I want to know one thing.," said Hollifield.

Genon nodded and said, "Whatever it is, I will comply."

So Hollifield asked, and Genon answered. Finally, after struggling for so many years for understanding why he was who he was, and what role he was supposed to play in the greater scheme of things, he gained the clarity he long sought.

"Thank you, and now I am honor bound to help you.," Hollifield said soberly.

Starsha and Genon nodded, with the queen of Iscandar said, "The meeting is about to start. We need to get to the conference room."

The threesome left the office and headed to the meeting.


	68. Chapter 68

**Chapter 68 **

**A Conversation Between Old Warriors**

**Palace Gardens, Royal Palace **

**Queentown, Iscandar **

**Time Unknown**

Two presidents walked into the garden, both lost in their thoughts. They had been friends for decades, since they met in Earthforce Academy ages ago. They didn't always agree, but they stayed friends despite the pressures of their respective jobs.

Interstellar Alliance President John Sheridan looked over towards the hill where so many Iscandarians had been buried. "You been over there yet," he said as he pointed to the hill.

Earth Alliance President Garrison Hollifield nodded and sighed, saying, "Yeah, I've been over there. It's a place I won't be going back to, because they deserve their privacy. I never was much for graveyards."

Sheridan snorted and said, "We all gotta go there someday."

"Yeah, but at least when you make your last trip there, you won't know what they're doing to you.," Hollifield laughed.

They walked further into the large gardens, stepping aside to allow the robotic gardeners to go about the maintenance of the place. Hollifield observed cynically, "That would have made many an aristocrat's wife feel blue if their husbands could have hired those instead of human gardeners.," as he pointed to the robots.

"I don't know. Humans have a strange way of getting their sexual satisfaction.," Sheridan replied.

"You aren't kidding! I once had to do a report on sexual fetishes for my advanced sociology class at UNC, and you would not believe all the stuff I saw! Some of what I saw would turn your stomach, and this was BEFORE we ever met any aliens," Hollifield said.

Sheridan laughed and sat down on a bench. "Makes me glad that I never went to college!"

They sat down and turned to watch the ocean, staying silent for several minutes as they both got lost in their thoughts.

Finally, Hollifield broke the silence. "So what do you think about all of this?"

Sheridan sighed and said, "It goes against everything I believe in, but if that's what they want, who are we to deny them?"

Hollifield nodded and looked back at the ocean. "When Lorien gave you back twenty years of your life, did you ever think you would see all that we've seen?"

"No. I still have ten years to go until...well, you know."

"What does it feel like to know you can't go past that date?"

Sheridan thought for a moment about his hyphenated lifespan, and said, "It gives me a clarity about things, and helps me focus on the moment,because, all too soon, it'll be gone."

Hollifield nodded, still looking at the ocean. "You know, we should all think like that. Maybe that's the lesson from this war, in that we should appreciate the time we have, and not waste it like we do on such trivialities. How many lives have we seen lost way too soon?"

Sheridan shrugged his shoulders and responded, "Too damn many! Ever get the feeling that you're living when someone better than you lost their life way too soon?"

"All the time. It feels like that we should be doing more to make a universe that those who've been lost would be proud of.," Hollifield said.

"We can only do what we can, Garrison, and leave the rest for the universe to sort out. We need to have faith in those who'll come after us to do the right thing."

Hollifield sighed, "You know, I would have loved to have a kid."

"Who says you can't? Hudson's still young enough to have kids, after all."

Hollifield leaned back and looked at Sheridan in surprise. "How did you know?"

"You don't need to be a telepath sometimes to read people's minds, Garrison! I've noticed how you two are with each other. Besides, there is this wonderful thing called scuttlebutt."

Hollifield laughed and said, "My uncle said that gossip was the work of the devil. If that's the case, then ol' Satan is one busy bastard!"

"So where do we go from here, Garrison? Now that we know what the Legendorans are up to."

"We win the war, then go from there. That's all we can do. Then, hopefully, we'll get a decent break before the next war comes along"  
Hollifield replied.

Sheridan sighed, "Yeah, and we'll be lucky if we don't see another war before I kick the bucket!"

They got up and walked back to the palace. "Do you think it's all been worth it, John? All the battles, the lives lost, the effort we've put into all of this?"

Sheridan looked up into the sky and then said, "Yes. If there is one thing I have learned in all of this, is that faith does indeed manage."

Hollifield nodded and said, "It does indeed!" He clapped Sheridan on the shoulder and the two made their way back into the palace.

Looking from a window, Delenn looked down at the two presidents, tears in her eyes.

"Why are you crying, mommy," said seven year old David.

"Just thinking about the past. That's all.," replied Delenn.

"Oh. Well, could you help me with my homework? I'm having trouble with the religious caste lesson that Master Vornar gave me this morning.," said David.

Delenn nodded and said, "Sure, David. Go back to your room and I'll be there shortly." As he left the room, she looked back out the window and saw Sheridan and Hollifield re-enter the palace.

"Ten years! Only ten years left," Delenn whispered as she followed them with her eyes back into the palace. Then she snapped out of her daze and went back to help her son.


	69. Chapter 69

**Chapter 69 **

**The Honor of the Thief**

**In catacombs underneath the Government Palace **

**Cardassia Prime **

**February 1, 2278**

"How long has she been gone," asked Ro Laren.

"Eight hours. She should have been back by now. How much longer do you want to stay here," replied Thomas Riker.

"Hmmmm...let's give her another hour, just to be sure. I don't want to leave her here alone unless it's unlikely she's going to return."

Moments later, the two, in heavy Cardassian makeup, were relieved to hear the voice of Dureena Nafeel echo through the catacombs.

"Who's there," Dureena asked.

"Gideon's trumpet.," replied Riker.

Durenna flashed her light at the two, then breathed a sigh a relief. "Sorry I'm late. I got into the main information center and got caught up downloading some intelligence."

"How much did you get? What did you get," asked Ro Laren.

"Quite a lot. I'm sure Captain Wildstar will be pleased. I got into their defense mainframe and downloaded like mad. I'm sure not all of it will be useful, but from what I saw, it looked like troop lists, battle plans, and much more.," replied Dureena.

The three made their way out of the complex maze of catacombs, using directions placed inside in an ancient language unknown to the modern-day Cardassians. These tunnels were centuries old, and hardly ever used anymore. Rodents, rats, and other assorted vermin were far from scarce here, but they kept away from the three as they walked down the tunnel.

They made their way out of the catacombs in the outskirts of the city, which was a hidden place inside the gardens of a prosperous Cardassian merchant. Dren Norvak was a sympathizer to the resistance, mainly because his position within the civilian government had been taken away from him. It wasn't much, but he had wanted to help bring democracy to his people. He was an avid collector of Earth items: books, videos,music, art; and had been one of many supporters of Garak's reforms.

He was technically under house arrest, but Gul Dukat didn't see him as much of a threat. So how was he to know that the guards assigned to watch Norvak were part of the resistance? The fact was, Dukat had no idea.

The three entered the luxurious mansion, and Laren once again felt the unease of being in a lavish Cardassian residence when, not so long ago, these people had enslaved her own Bajoran race. However, she also knew about the bigger picture, and, like a true professional soldier, she suppressed her unease and took a seat in one of the living rooms.

Several other Cardassians came in, some who were really from this world, others who were in heavy makeup. It was hard to tell who was who from appearances, but the voices soon told the differences.

"From what I've found, it looks like they have no idea that Wildstar is at Orak Tor, nor do they have any idea as to what happened to Empock Nor. I think they feel these two stations were old and outdated, so not worth the effort to maintain.," reported Dureena.

"It wouldn't surprise me if that were so. I've always known Dukat to be a bit blind when his ambitions are stirred," said Norvak with a cynical laugh. "He's so impressed with these Ragendorans that he's thrown away a lot of old, unused equipment, and he's run roughshod over a lot of the Central Command. We still have to be careful, though, because it only takes one traitor to undo what we've done."

Greel Maivek, a university professor, spoke up, "Indeed. I've had to be careful about coming here, because all it takes is for one person to get suspicious." She was a thin, middle-aged woman who had both the wise presence of an elder as well as the energy of a youth. "So when are you sending this information out?"

"Immediately. We're sending it out via several couriers, on roundabout routes. Hopefully, one will get to Wildstar within two weeks, perhaps sooner.," replied Riker.

A signal came in on the personal communicator for Norvak. Without a word, some of the others began to head towards a secret passage that led to another tunnel. From there, they would depart his home. "Yes, Virtal, I'll see him.," said Norvak with a sigh. The rest stayed there to mask the presence of the other visitors, and they had been approved to see Norvak, so they would, hopefully, not arouse suspicion.

A tall, lanky Gul by the name of Rempar walked into the house with two aides. "Norvak, this is your weekly debriefing. It's good that you've been a good prisoner. Perhaps, if you continue your good behavior, you may be allowed to move freely among the people."

"Well, that's good to know, Gul Rempar. I wasn't exactly a major figure within the government, so it's not like anyone would rally to me"  
replied Norvak with his cynical laugh.

"No, not really. You've always been more for profit than patriotism, but you've always been loyal, and that, according to Dukat, makes you worth keeping around. He has no problem with you becoming the greatest merchant in the history of our world, just as long as you know your place.," said Rempar menacingly.

Norval looked at him levelly and said, "He needn't worry, because a man my age doesn't have the patience nor the temperament for a revolution."

Rempar nodded and left without another word. After he had departed, the others cursed him for his impudence, but only Norval knew of Rempar's real game. He was head of another cell group, and had been transmitting information to a hidden computer as he spoke. Later that night, Riker, Dureena and Laren returned to meet with Norval.

As they looked over the information, it reconfirmed the information that Dureena had spent most of the day finding out herself, as well as adding much more to it. "So they intend to attack our Earth? Interesting.," said a musing Riker.

"They also want to take out Babylon 5 and Deep Space Nine as well. They know all about how the Legendorans and our allies use it to transport between the dimensions and universes, so it's no surprise that they would want to take those two away from us.," added Norval. "I've sent several copies ahead to Wildstar, this time on different transports. It's damned inefficient, but it's necessary."

Dureena nodded, "You did send the non sequiters, like I recommended, did you not?"

"Of course. I hate shell games. I hate gambling completely, but here, we have no choice.," said Norval.

Riker looked at his timepiece and said, "It's time we got back to our residence. They'll be wondering where we were."

"Before you go, can I ask you one last thing, in return for all my efforts," said Norval.

"What do you want," said Laren.

"When this is over, I want to see your real faces. I'm just curious as to what you really look like.," he said as he laughed.

"For an kind, old man like yourself, it'd be a pleasure," said Riker. They left shortly afterwards and made their way back to their safehouse.


	70. Chapter 70

**Chapter 70 **

**Deep In The Devil's Lair**

**Government Palace **

**Cardassia Prime **

**February 4, 2278**

Gul Dukat was not a happy man. He knew not of the resistance building up against his rule and the aid he received from the Ragendora, nor did he know of Wildstar's foothold in his territory on Orak Tor. Instead, he was annoyed at the pace of war production from his own people. The Ragendora had ambitious goals, and they wanted them achieved soon. Their plans to conquer Earth were nearing completion, and he wanted to keep in their good graces so he could lead the enslavement of Earth's population. He'd let his homeworld be controlled by someone else for a while, because he knew that they could not hope to rule it as ruthlessly and as completely as he did.

Little did he know that the very people he trusted, the very people he swore were the most loyal to him, were the ones who were selling him out. One of those was his own second, Packna Gronk. She was, in outward appearance, your typical Cardassian female: ruthless, disciplined, and totally loyal to the state. Inside, she yearned to see the years of the civilian government come again, because the Cardassian people, in her view, grew in ways that military rule could not bring about. So it was sad to see the coup come about, but she knew that the key to getting the usurpers' grip on power to slip would be Dukat, and Dukat had more than his fair share of failings.

So when she proposed to Dureena Nafeel that she try to become his mistress, she was shocked when the alien said yes. "I've been studying your ways ever since I signed on to this mission. Believe me, I've learned how to mimic behavior to get me in to wherever I need to be. I am a trained thief, after all.," said Dureena, with much pride in her voice.

Thomas Riker and Ro Laren were worried, but relented and agreed to the change in plans. They were soon to leave anyway to help Wildstar, so the resistance would be headed up primarily by Cardassians unhappy with the military rule. What they needed was a way to manipulate Dukat, and giving him a warm and willing Cardassian female would be just the tonic to get in Dukat's head.

Dukat was married, but he was as faithful as a backsliding Christian. He cheated on his wife and didn't care who knew it. His wife was dutiful and kept her feelings over this to herself, for the most part. Inside, as Packna knew, she seethed at her husband's infidelity. The two were friends, and it was a comment said in passing that drove her to ask Dureena to play the part of mistress.

"You know, my dear, that bastard of a husband of mine doesn't even know his skirt-chasing, as the Humans say, is his main failing. If it wasn't for his penchant for bedding Bajoran whores, we may still be there," Zorla Dukat said.

Packna nodded and said, "Have you ever thought about cheating on him? I'm sure that you'd enjoy the revenge."

Zorla snorted, "What makes you think I haven't? Granted, I've been more...ambitious...in my pursuits, as well as more discreet, but I bore of it. In recent years, I've mainly stuck with government officials and those who are close to them. Hell, I even bedded Garek a few times."

Packna looked shocked, "What would your husband do if he suspects?"

"Kill me, what else," Zorla said, with a sigh. "He used to be so different in his youth. You know, the Humans have a saying: 'Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely'. If that phrase doesn't fit my husband, I don't know of any other that comes close."

Packna licked her lips and was hesitant about what she was about to say. She was putting her life into Zorla's hands. "What would you say if I told you there was a resistance building to Gul Dukat's rule?"

Zorla looked at her friend seriously, then said, "I wish them luck. I would love nothing better than that pompous ass of a husband of mine to be thrown from power. Hell, if you were involved, I would join you. Our world was so much better under civilian rule. People actually felt positive about being Cardassian. Now, they feel like they've always felt: imposed upon. I, for one, am sick of it."

"What about your son?"

"What about him? He's involved with them. He doesn't want me involved, because he couldn't bear with me losing my life. Gurla's such a fine young man, much like his father used to be until power and ambition took his soul.," Zorla said bitterly. "If you are asking for my blessing to rid my husband, you have it."

"Out of power," asked Packna.

Zorla snorted derisively and added, "Out of life!"

So, as she watched from across the room, she could see Dureena Nafeel charming the pants off of Gul Dukat. After having served with him since before he led the Bajoran occupation, she could tell when he was about to go to bed with a woman. He had that look in his eye, and she said a silent prayer to the gods that Dureena could get the information needed. Meanwhile, she had to concentrate on putting off one of the new government's bureaucrats from trying to get into her pants.

A couple of days later, she met Dureena in a secluded restaurant off the main thoroughfare in the capital. "So, how did it go?", she asked Dureena.

"In getting what I wanted, fine. In getting laid, not so well. He's lousy in bed.," she said matter-of-factly.

"I could have told you that. So how many glasses of kanar did he go through before he passed out? I wonder if he still has his high tolerance for the stuff.," asked Packna.

Dureena snorted, "More like two bottles. I can't stand the stuff. Besides, in my profession, you have to keep your wits about you, so I'm not much of a drinker. However, once he was fairly lubricated, he proved to be the soul of cooperation."

Packna nodded, adding, "Well, I'm sure you'll have plenty of stories to tell some of our mutual friends. Speaking of which, I know two of them who would love to see you again real soon."

Dureena smiled and played with her hair as a male passed nearby. "I'll do just that. They'd love to hear a few stories of my recent adventures." The two laughed like schoolgirls and passed the time further with some small talk.

That evening, Zorla greeted her husband as he came into their home from work. "Well, it's nice to know I have a husband! So, who was she this time?"

Dukat took the jibe with humor. "Please my dear! I know all too well I'm not the only one in this family who gets their pleasures elsewhere."

"At least you could have told me so the dinner I had prepared would not have grown cold! Do you know how expensive gilcenka is these days?"

Dukat licked his lips, "Well, I'm sorry I missed out. I'm off to bed, because I have to get up early in the morning."

Zorla rolled her eyes, asking, "What great military campaign are you planning this time, my dear?"

"Oh, nothing much. Just a full assault on Deep Space Nine and Babylon 5. And then, later on to Earth," Dukat said.

Zorla shrugged the chill up her spine off and said dismissively, "Well, at least you still have your ambitions."

"Indeed! That's why you love me, isn't it," he said.

"Among other things.," she smiled as she embraced him. He didn't notice the skin tab that she stuck on the back of his neck, which had him asleep in no time. She removed it and disposed of it, then went off to let her friend know of this latest twist in the plot.


	71. Chapter 71

**Chapter 71 **

**Atrocities Against Ourselves**

**Muglan Detention Center **

**Cardassia Prime **

**February 6, 2278**

There was a part of Riker that remembered his time spent in a Cardassian prison, and while it was short and he was treated relatively well, he still saw the brutal treatment of other prisoners, both Cardassian and alien. However, as he watched from his perch behind a rock in the Smolk foothills, he could tell that the labor camp was much like the ones he saw during his history classes. Hitler and his Nazi regime may have been long dead, but the idea of concentration camps had leapt from his homeworld to Cardassia Prime.

Most of the ones in the camp were either members of the civilian government not in favor with the military junta, artists and intellectuals who always seem to be persecuted in totalitarian regimes such as this, and those of religious sects deemed unpopular by the ruling classes. One of those sects, the Ginkrans, had a seven-pointed star that eerily reminded him of the Jewish Star of David, and he tried to quell those memories that came from his "brother" Will Riker.

Ro Laren may not have been human, but she knew all too well about the camps. She lived in one for years as a child, but managed to escape with some resistance fighters one night after her parents had been executed at the whim of the camp commandant and this had sparked a raid on the camp. They searched for her for days, but never could find her. She managed to get off world and head for a colony in neutral space. From there, she entered Starfleet Academy and graduated, to the surprise of many her classmates, in the top quarter of her class.

It didn't take long to realize she didn't fit in with the military life, and, while she tried to fit in, she was too headstrong to stay in Starfleet. Years ago, she was on a mission with Captain Picard against the Maquis when she betrayed him and joined the rebels. She hated to do it, but her hatred for the Cardassians and her discomfort with military life led her to defecting. While she liked Picard and the rest of the _Enterprise-D_ crew, she couldn't stand the life anymore.

So when she met Thomas Riker, she fell for him instantly. She'd always had a crush on Will Riker, but she also knew that he still had a thing for Deanna Troi, so she never acted upon it. Yeah, there was the whole Lysian thing, where the whole crew had been brainwashed and she had been convinced that she was Will Riker's wife and he likewise. While she never held onto those memories, she did still get a kick out of the whole thing every so often. Strangely enough, it rekindled something in Will Riker to pursue Deanna again, and, after some deviations along the way, they eventually married.

She wanted to eventually marry Thomas, but their lives had always been on the edge, and they didn't have time to settle down. Thomas was like herself, in that she loved adventure. However, what she was seeing now made her feel something she never thought she would in her life: sympathy for the Cardassians.

Inside the camp, they marched out several prisoners out to the main campground and lined them against the wall. A line of Cardassian soldiers stood in front of them with phaser rifles, which they pointed at the prisoners. Several of them said something out loud before the rifle fire cut them down. Another batch of prisoners dragged them away to a mass grave, where, to the shock of both of them, they soldiers gunned the rest of the prisoners down.

"My God! How can they do this to their own people? I mean, I knew of Bajorans who sold their own people out to the Cardassians, but this makes that look...," Laren shook her head, "I don't know what to say about this."

Riker contacted the others who were monitoring the same camp from hidden duck blinds, then signaled to Laren to retreat to their secondary position, where they met the others.

When they were all together in the basement of an abandoned hunting lodge, Riker made a statement. "We need to get this out to the populace in general. Laren and I are heading back to our headquarters to find out a way to spread word of this across the planet."

"What do you have in mind," said one of the Cardassians who were part of the resistance.

"I can't make promises that it'll work, but, on another planet, they managed to overthrow a military junta by tapping into the communications net and discrediting the regime. I have something similar in mind, and the video images we've collected will go a long way towards this end.," replied Riker.

The next day, they hid the data crystals inside ornamental jewelry and made their way off of Cardassia Prime. They would switch to freighters and other ships, taking the long way around before getting to Orak Tor.

A week later, they were aboard a Narn freighter as they pulled into Orak Tor. Wildstar met them at the airlock and he escorted them to the conference room, where they showed him the footage. Nova Forrester left the room, as did a few others, because of the shock of the images, but Derek Wildstar sat there in silence, watching the atrocities, and Riker could see the rage building on his face.

When the images were finished, Wildstar released a deep breath, then turned to Riker and Laren. "We've got to do something about this, and, by God, we'll do something pretty damn soon," he said as he slammed a fist down onto the desk.

Ro Laren said, "Yes, sir," in response to that, and felt, for the first time, some hope that they could prevail after all.


	72. Chapter 72

**Chapter 72 **

**Betrayal By Friends**

**Government Palace **

**Cardassia Prime **

**February 10, 2278**

"It seems like he doesn't even see how he is leading us down yet another road to defeat! Has he not learned the lesson from last time, when he embraced the Dominion so eagerly, only to be betrayed by them when the Breen came along?"

"No, he only sees what he wants, and that's him in charge of our world! He doesn't care who puts him in charge, just as long as he gets to call the shots!"

"Someone has to put a stop to this, and to him, before he leads us to another defeat, and this time, we may not survive it! Look at what the Dominion did towards the end of the war!"

"I agree, but how do we go about stopping him? He's got the Jem'Hadar aligned with him, as well as those damned Ragendorans, but from what I've seen, those aliens only want us to do their dirty work!"

"What about this resistance I've been hearing about? Can they do anything?"

"I don't know. I used to dismiss them off, but it seems like that they have momentum building behind them. Not that I trust them completely, but if they can help us bring back some form of the civilian government..."

"Coming from you, that's a surprise! Then again, I've heard a lot of grumbling inside the military about the coup. Even some of Dukat's old supporters have distanced themselves from him."

"All we need is a rallying cry, and we can topple this regime! We can take out those damned Jem'Hadar! If there is one thing that I'll always believe in, it's the fighting spirit of the Cardassian soldier!"

"So, how do we contact the resistance? Because if this goes on any further, we won't have a world for the resistance to free!"

Packna Gronk found the sound file inside the latest intelligence briefing and secretly deleted it from the report that she, being Dukat's head of intelligence, would give him. She still had the file in her computer, and she'd get around to finding out who all were in the meeting recorded by the agents. The longer this wore on, the more and more prominent people began to turn against Dukat. They weren't ready just yet to go public with their objections, but they were close to making their views known.

She could sense the tide turning against Dukat, and the longer he stayed in the blind, the harder the fall would be for him. The reports that she gave him did show him that there was a resistance, but it was so small that he didn't even bother mounting a full suppression. He left the details of the suppression to her, and she made it seem like she was going after them with her grim ruthlessness.

He'd become taken with Dureena, and she helped blind him even further from the realities. She thought him pathetic as to how he could just let a woman run roughshod over him. His wife knew of what Dureena was doing, and was supportive of Packna's plan. His wife no longer loved him, and would rather see him dead than continue on as leader. His son also no longer could stand his father, but he was much more circumspect with his comments. Packna was the only confident he had, and she found out a lot about Dukat from him.

She had a meeting with him in a couple of hours. It was their daily briefing, and she knew he would want to rush it, as well as his other meetings, so he could get back to Dureena. If they both lived through this, she fully intended to ask Dureena how she kept Dukat so happy these days. Whatever sexual techniques she was using, it clearly made an impact with him.

She saw him walk by her office, singing an old Cardassian love ballad, of all things. He never did that for any of his past concubines. She looked out into space and tried to imagine having sex with Dukat. The very thought made her shudder in repulsion. She had been loyal to him,but no longer. Her patriotism ran deep inside her, but she knew that Cardassia wasn't standing on its feet anymore. It had under the civilian government, but Dukat and his allies had yanked the rug out from under them.

All her reports, from the resistance and her agents in intelligence, showed that the tide was turning against Dukat. They were closing in on where they would need to be in order to overthrow Dukat and his allies, but they weren't there yet. But soon, with some more help from Wildstar and his forces on Orak Tor, they would be ready. She looked out at the rest of the capital from her window in her office, and could sense the change coming. She remembered those years under the civilian government,and she wanted those back, and if it meant she would not be around to see them, so be it.

She had no children of her own, but if she survived what was to come, she pledged herself to finding a suitable mate and having as many as she could. Her work no longer interested her, and she wanted free of it.

The time came to meet with Dukat, so she gathered her papers and began to walk towards his office. If all went well, she wouldn't have many more of these trips to make.


	73. Chapter 73

**Chapter 73 **

**Raise the Rebellion!**

**Government Palace **

**Cardassia Prime**

** February 14, 2278**

Gul Dukat knew the Earth date as well as its special meaning to them. This was St. Valentine's Day, a day for lovers and romance. He had no idea of who this St. Valentine was, nor did he care, for this day was also Union Day for those in the Cardassian Union. It was the big holiday for Cardassians, and he had prepared a speech just for the occasion. It would detail his vision for Cardassia, as well as the rest of the galaxy, for the future. With the help of the Jem'Hadar and the Ragendora, he would see his vision fulfilled.

He walked his way to the balcony to address the masses, flanked by Jem'Hadar warriors and his hand selected councilors. He though about Packna and wondered why she didn't choose to come, but she had a busy job and never was much for pomp and circumstance. He paid it no mind, as she'd been far more useful in suppressing what little resistance there was. He smiled as the crowd roared its approval upon his entrance onto the balcony. In his vision must have been half a million Cardassians,  
and he seemed to be on top of the world.

He began to speak, "My friends..."

And like another tyrant, he got no further as a holographic representation of Packna came to life in front of him. He looked down and the crowd broke out signs and banners, which read: "Restore the civilian government!", "Down with Dukat!", "Freedom for Cardassia!", and so on. Dukat was gobsmacked as he could not believe what he was seeing.

His once-loyal assistant plunged the figurative knife even further into his back. "Greetings, people of Cardassia! I have come to you in this hour because a cancer is growing upon our world, and that cancer is named Gul Dukat!"

The crowd let out boos and hisses and chants for the downfall of Dukat and the restoration of the civilian government, and Dukat was astonished.

Packna continued, "Our glorious destiny is not of our design, but that of a race known as the Ragendora, who seek to use us like the Dominion used us! And who led us during the Dominion war? None other than Dukat himself!"

The crowd's cheers got even louder as she continued, "We, the resistance, have been gathering for some time! We've kept Dukat and his cronies blinded to the reality of what was building, and now he shall see that what he has done has not gone unnoticed by the masses!

"We DEMAND that Dukat step down and face a tribunal for crimes against Cardassia! We DEMAND that the Ragendora and the Jem'Hadar leave our system, or they shall face the wrath of not only us, but of the Federation and its allies!

"The Ragendora seek to be the ultimate rulers of this galaxy, and Dukat would serve as their lackey here on Cardassia! I ask you, the Cardassian people, is this a fate you wish of your homeworld?"

The crowd began to storm the gates of the palace, and the guards were thunderstruck by the massive disobedience of law and order, something that was drilled into every Cardassian at a young age. Dukat was pulled from the balcony as various items began to land around and on the balcony.

Vorek, the Ragendoran liaison to Cardassia, was apoplectic. "You said these people would be tamed to do as they were told, Dukat! You said that you would pacify them! What has gone wrong?"

Dukat was searching for the right words when the gunfire broke out inside the palace grounds. "We must get out of here! We'll show these people that they have been wrongly led!"

"So right you are, Dukat," Vorek said, and he plunged a dagger into the heart of him. Dukat looked stunned as he fell off the blade and onto the floor. Blood poured out of him as his life slipped away rapidly.

"We should not have brought you back. Our mistake. But we shall more than make up for it!" Vorek motioned to a Jem'Hadar soldier and said, "Take the troops to the mother ship! We'll fall back for now, but soon, we'll enslave this pathetic race and wipe out those who won't serve!"The Jem'Hadar nodded and was about to leave when his communication link chimed in. "Yes," he said irritably.

"Sir, we've just received word from the Gornal system. They're under attack from allied forces! They say, it's the _Yamato_," said the voice on the communicator.

Vorek looked like he was about to blow a gasket. "Damn! I was afraid of this. Consolidate our forces around this homeworld! If they want us, they'll have to destroy this world to get us! We may fall here, but our other forces shall prevail in the end!"

They were beamed out of the palace as the first resistance fighters made their way into the hall. Packna raced to see her former mentor dying at her feet. Dukat, still barely alive, said, "Why did you betray me?"

She asked in return, "Why did you betray us?", and promptly kicked him in the stomach. He died shortly thereafter, to the raucous cheers of those in the hall.


	74. Chapter 74

**Chapter 74 **

**Send the Message!**

**Gornal IV **

**Gornal System, Cardassian Union **

**February 14, 2378**

_Yamato_'s main guns fired and the Jem'Hadar Battle Cruiser shook violently with explosions, but managed to not blow up completely. The ship fired off a volley of torpedoes, but the Earthforce Omega-class cruiser _Belasaurius_ dispatched those with their pulse cannons. _Yamato_ finished off the cruiser with another barrage from the main guns, and the cruiser's warp core blew up and the ship was consumed in the explosion.

"Any other enemy targets," asked captain Derek Wildstar.

"None, Wildstar. All enemy targets destroyed.," replied Nova Forrester.

Wildstar nodded, then said, "How many ships have we lost?"

Christopher Eager looked at his console and replied, "We've lost five Whitestars, and seven others are disabled. All main cruisers are intact, but the _Horatio_ is pretty banged up. Recommend we send them back to Orak Tor and have them get repaired, sir."

_Yamato_ dispatched medical ships and brought aboard the survivors of those ships lost as well as those disabled. It was determined that three of the Whitestars were unsalvageable and _Yamato_ destroyed them with her main guns, as well as laying waste to those destroyed, denying the enemy the ships.

Later that evening, a shuttle came aboard _Yamato_, and Wildstar had the people on board taken directly to the conference room. When the two entered the room, he was sitting with the rest of his command staff at the table.

They were two Cardassian generals, Pulan Doss and Rorak Menka. Doss spoke first, "Are you Captain Wildstar?"

Wildstar nodded and said, "Yes I am."

"I have vital news for you from the resistance. The good news is that the insurrection has been successful, and Dukat is dead. The bad news is that the Ragendora and the Jem'Hadar are planning to retake the world and are massing troops as we speak!"

Menka put a device on the table, and a three dimensional visual came up above the table. Menka explained the schematic. "The enemy is gathering in the Hnaran system, around a world called Bliel. It's been the main site for ketrocel white production, as well as for manufacturing Jem'Hadar soldiers. They may move in the next few days, so if you are to strike, you need to do it quickly."

Wildstar scratched his chin and made a silent survey of the room. Sandor and Venture looked skeptical, while Jordan and Homer looked convinced. Nova was passive and neutral, so deciding a course of action was going to be difficult.

"Will there be any Cardassian ships joining us in this attack," asked Wildstar.

Doss nodded and said, "We'll have as many ships as we can bring into the fight. I can assure you that the fleets we command are loyal, but I can understand your hesitancy."

Doss handed Wildstar a PADD, and said, "This is our plans to attack the fleet. Regardless of what you want to do, we plan to attack the fleet. If you don't join us, we may fail. However, if you come with us, we can reclaim our homeworld and defeat these bastards!"

Wildstar looked around again at his staff and made his decision right then. "We'll be there, with every ship we can muster!"

Doss nodded and smiled, "Thank you, Captain! On behalf of my people, I thank you!" They shook hands and Doss and Menka left the room.

"Derek, are you sure about this," asked Venture.

"No, but if we want to break their hold on the world, we have to take this chance. I'm sending a message to Orak Tor to send additional forces to the coordinates. We have to take this chance, or we may lose this war.," replied Wildstar.

Sandor stood up, "I would be less than honest with you, Wildstar, if I said I was entirely comfortable with this, but we've all served together long enough with each other to trust in your judgment. However this turns out, we're with you!"

The rest of the staff stood up and saluted Wildstar, who was taken aback by this show of emotion. "Thank you. Now, let's get to work!"


	75. Chapter 75

**Chapter 75 **

**Circle of Light**

**Bliel Hnaran System **

**February 17, 2378**

Whatever worries that Derek Wildstar had of a trap evaporated as the Cardassian ships gathered around _Yamato_ and took fire from the Jem'Hadar warships swarming the fleet. The Whitestars began to outflank the warships and systematically began to take them out.

"How much longer until we get to the facility," Wildstar asked his radar tech, Chris Eager.

"30 thousand clicks, Wildstar. We've got Ragendoran bogies coming in at two o'clock," replied Eager.

"Dash, take them out once the Cardassians are out of our firing solution," commanded Wildstar.

Dashell "Dash" Jordan nodded and sent out the orders to the gun crew, while Homer Glitchman sent out a message to the Cardassians. It wasn't long until the Galor-class warships moved out of the line of sight of _Yamato_'s guns.

"All main guns, prepare to fire," commanded Dash.

"Cardassians clear! You can fire at any time Dash," said Eager.

"Fire," ordered Dash, and all five main guns opened up on the Ragendoran ships. The first barrage of fire took out seven of the smaller ships, and subsequent waves of fire began to decimate the enemy. Meanwhile, the Cardassians were taking heavy losses as their flying wedge formation began to break apart.

Pulan Doss came on the video screen. "Captain Wildstar, we don't know how much longer we can hold off the Jem'Hadar and the Ragendora. Recommend that you use the wave motion gun to take out the facility!"

Nova spoke up, "Wildstar, if we use the gun here, we run the risk of hitting the planet and causing catastrophic damage."

Doss nodded and said, "There is no life on Bliel, at least not now. That is other than the facilities there. As far as I know, there are no Cardassians there."

Wildstar paused for a moment for thought, then turned to his chief engineer Yamazaki and said, "Power up the wave motion gun, chief!"

"Aye sir," the chief said and sent down instructions to the crew in the engine room. Soon, the power buildup was rapidly growing until the gun was ready to fire.

"She's ready to fire whenever you are ready, sir," called the chief.

"Good. Countdown starts at one minute on my mark. Mark," called Wildstar.

Tachyons began to glow in front of the wave motion gun nozzle as the power began to build. Jem'Hadar ships, apparently tipped off to this phenomenon, tried to make run after run on _Yamato_, but the Whitestars as well as Hideki-class fighters of the Cardassian fleet began to take out the alien kamikazes.

Wildstar spoke the final ten seconds of the countdown aloud. "10...9...8...7...6...5...4..."

Suddenly, five Jem'Hadar ships broke through and made a dead ahead run right at the front of the ship. They went full impulse and tried to stop the crew of the _Yamato_, but it was, ultimately, an act of vanity.

Wildstar didn't blink as he kept the main target in his gun sight. "3...2...1...Fire!"

A massive wave of energy shot out of the bow cannon and vaporized the Jem'Hadar ships. They could do nothing to prevent the energy wave from streaking into the orbital facility, running through it like a hot knife through butter. The energy wave crashed onto the main habitation dome on the rocky planet, wiping it out, and the shock wave, paired with the remaining energy from the blast, wiped out the entire colony on Bliel. The planet wasn't wiped out, but a sizeable crater had been created where the colony once was.

Seeing the results of the shot, the remaining enemy forces made one last run at the fleet, taking out several Cardassian ships as well as a score of Whitestars. Two Earthforce cruisers were destroyed and five others were severely damaged, and three Earth Defense Force destroyers were seriously damaged in the last run, but the main heart of the fleet was still intact, much to Whitestar's relief. However, he soon found that there was still bad news to deal with.

"Sir, the ships Pulan Doss and Rorak Menka were commanding have been destroyed. No sign of survivors.," Homer said soberly.

Wildstar sighed and smacked his fist against the armrest. "Anything else?"

"Not at the...wait, we're getting a message on a private channel. It's being patched into us from the EAS _Dionysus_ on one of their frequencies."

The message came up and Wildstar recognized the woman despite the Cardassian makeup. It was Dureena Nafeel, and she seemed to be huddled on a rooftop somewhere.

"If this is getting through, I have to let you see what is taking place," she said, then took the camera and placed it over the railing. Looking down at the street, hundreds of Cardassians were running for their lives. Bolts from phaser rifles began to take down the people one by one. Jem'Hadar soldiers began to run by and massacre all that they could catch up to. Men, women, and children were ruthlessly cut down.

Wildstar watched and began to shake with anger, and he looked around and saw the various reactions of his crew. He turned to Mark Venture, the ship's pilot and spoke just a few words: "Venture, take us to Cardassia! Best speed!"

_Yamato_ warped moments later, as the remaining ships followed. It would take three days to jump to Cardassian space, and Wildstar had the ships that could not make it in time for the battle to meet them at Cardassia. As he lay down beside his love in his quarters to sleep, the sight of those Cardassians being butchered kept him from sleeping that night.


	76. Chapter 76

**Chapter 76**

** Memories of Tianamen**

**Memnonkh, Khartal Province **

**Cardassia Prime **

**February 20, 2378**

Dureena Nafeel was crouched beside a window on the third floor of an abandoned building, taking a moment to rest after having ran from the Jem'Hadar soldiers. It seemed to her that the Ragendorans had decided to wipe out all the Cardassians, or at least those who might put up a fight. The rest, she figured, would go into slave labor and worked to death.

There were others with her, mostly children. They had managed to avoid the troops, but how much longer they could keep up was open for debate. She guessed that they were all between 10-15 in human years, because anyone younger might not have been able to avoid the massacres taking place.

They kept to themselves, and Dureena didn't try and impose herself on them. She would be moving out soon anyway, but there was a part of her that made her feel guilty about that. For the first time in her entire life, she wished she had been able to settle down with someone and have kids. She shook her head and tried to focus on what needed to be done to help Wildstar and his forces, but the more she thought about it, the more she wondered if there would be anybody left to save once they got here.

Once the kids were asleep, she snuck out and managed to make it to a forest without being seen. She'd always been adept at climbing, and the trees on Cardassia would have made the African jungle animals she'd heard about excited with delight. She had no problem going from tree to tree, managing to stay off the ground as troops scattered though the forest periodically on patrol.

As the sun began to rise, she spied a cargo transport that was loading. She quickly found a half empty box with plenty of room for her and climbed inside, switching a label with another large box when she saw on the label that the cargo was heading for the capital. They loaded her box inside and they were off, and she took a chance by taking out the tricorder she had and scanned the ship. The transport carried armaments, ketrocel white, foodstuffs, and other sundries, so she figured she might be headed to a military base or something like that. She felt the thermal grenades she had tucked on her person and hoped she could get off this planet in one piece.

Several hours later, the cargo transport came to a stop and the cargo inside was unloaded. Suddenly, she heard explosions far off, and one of the warehouse people cried out, "The enemy's ships are descending onto the planet! All warriors assemble in the square and prepare for attack!" Dozens of footsteps hurried away as the explosions got nearer and nearer, and she took a chance by opening the box up and getting out.

The place was deserted. She snuck out and got on the roof of the next building over so she could see what was going on. Whitestars were landing outside the capital, and the great bulk of the _Yamato_ was descending onto the planet. Her newly installed keel cannons fired off, and three Ragendoran vessels on the ground were wiped out. Dureena knew that the Ragendorans never thought that their enemies could land ships on Cardassia, and had neglected to place any major weaponry to deal with the ships on the ground. They had phaser rifles, but against the Whitestars and _Yamato_, there were like yellow jackets stinging an elephant: they did no damage.

She spied some troops heading back to the rear of the encampment, and it puzzled her, because she did not see any ships landing behind the base. The ships were more content with the capital, specifically the government palace. She hopped from rooftop to rooftop, following them as best she could.

She soon found out why they were headed back to the rear. They were dragging out Cardassians into the main courtyard. She could tell right then what their intensions were. A couple of years earlier, Sheridan had told her aboard _Excalibur_ that the fascist President Clark, seeing that he was about to be overthrown, had decided upon a "scorched earth" policy, and had set the planetary defense grid to fire on the planet.Luckily, Sheridan's forces had been able to take it out before the satellites could fire their particle beams at Earth. It seemed to her that the Jem'Hadar had a similar intension.

She hadn't intended to do what she was about to do, but the sight of those frightened children as well as the adults in various states of distress tugged at her heart. She wished she could just look away and stick to what she had to do, but as she took out a grenade and her PPG rifle, she decided that she had to save those people.

They never saw her leap down from the top of the one story building, and were completely surprised when grenades began to land at their feet. The Cardassians began to run when the first grenades went off, sending the Jem'Hadar soldiers into the air in parts or in whole. Dureena threw the grenades and tried to take out as many of the troops as she could. She spied a gate and saw a forest just fifty meters away. "Hurry! To the gate! I'll blow it open!" She hurried over, placed a grenade on the lock, and ran to the side as it blew. She gestured them to hurry through as she threw her last grenades at the approaching troops. Once the last of the Cardassians were out, she raced outside and fired her PPG rifle at the Jem'Hadar, looking over her shoulder to make sure that they made it into the woods. When she spotted the last of them making it into the woods, she turned back to fire, only to be met with a blade to the chest. The Jem'Hadar who had stabbed her looked at her like she was excrement and said, "Fool! You can't stop us!"

It was then she pulled out the last grenade from her pocket, unseen by the assembled Jem'Hadar, who were discussing how to get the escaped Cardassians. When the grenade went off, they never saw it coming.

Hours later, Derek Wildstar and his section of EDF Marines came upon Dureena's head. When he saw it, Derek had to fight the urge to vomit. He saw body parts of Jem'Hadar around and guessed that Dureena had made a last stand of some sort.

The escaped Cardassians came out of the forest hesitantly, so Derek shouted to them in his recently learned Cardassian, "We mean you no harm!" One of the young ones came up to him, spotted the head of Dureena, and said, "She saved us all! She sacrificed herself to allow us to escape! I wish I could have thanked her!"

Derek felt a tear come to his eye as he listened to the innocent child, who couldn't be more than twelve Earth years old, tell him all about how Dureena had saved them.

Aboard the _Excalibur_, Captain Matthew Gideon watched the last of Wildstar's message informing him of Dureena's passing. He got up, went over to the sideboard, and poured himself a whiskey. He gulped it down and set the shot glass back on the table, then went to the place where the box he hid from the others was kept.

When he opened the Apocalypse box, he saw that one of Dureena's blades was in it. It had never been in it to begin with, and, as far as Gideon knew, she had taken all of her blades with her. "Why her, and not me?" he said to the box.

"You have a destiny. You will meet it soon enough." said the being inside the box.

He closed it up and put it back in the secret compartment where he kept it, dissatisfied with the box's answer. He had gotten it years ago during a card game, winning it from some guy who looked to be on his last legs. The loser said something about being glad to be free of it,  
then walked out of the bar. A moment later, he heard a skimmer, the modern version of a car, strike a person and he ran outside to see what had happened. The man, according to witnesses, had jumped out in front of the skimmer and the driver could not stop in time. The man's dying words were, "I'm free at last!"

Gideon picked up the shot glass, filled it with more whiskey and gulped another shot down. He went to throw the glass against the wall, then thought better of it. He set it back down and went over to his bed. As he lay there, tears came to his eyes for the first time in years. He hadn't cried at the loss of the crew of the Cerberus, nor of his own parents, who both had led full lives before they died of old age. He wept because, deep down, he had always wanted to see Dureena find the peace and happiness that the universe owed her, and she would never see it now.

His executive officer paged him, "Sir, Wildstar is sending us a signal. He has more news on the situation on Cardassia."

"I'll be there shortly.," said Gideon, and he got up and put his uniform top back on. He had a job to do, and he'd do it to the best of his ability, but, at this moment, he was damned why he kept on doing it.


	77. Chapter 77

Chapter 77 For The Martyrs 

Outside the government complex

Cardassan, Cardassia Prime

February 23, 2378

Sergeant Major Webb "Hard" Knox was pissed. He led his EDF Marines with a rage he never knew himself capable of, but he knew what was behind it. His family had Jewish roots, and he knew that he had ancestors who were in the Holocaust. Some died, while some survived, and their stories carried over to him to this very day.

His mother had been Jewish, and fiercely proud of it. She had been a history professor, and had managed to balance the responsibilities of home and career with a grace and an ease that helped him as a kid. His father had been Christian, but he had also given his son the choice when he was older to decide which religion to follow when he reached eighteen.

Now, though, they were both dead, thanks to the Ragendora, but that's not what drove him now. What drove him and his troops were seeing all those Cardassians massacred in cold blood, and his sense of justice ran deep within him. He wanted these bastards, and if they chose to die at their posts, so much the better.

The Jem'Hadar were more than a match at hand to hand, but Knox didn't want to give those bastards the honor of a face-to-face fight. Instead, he took pleasure at blowing a reinforced Jem'Hadar position straight to hell with his tank's double cannons. The turret rotated and found another position, blasting that into rubble and taking out more Jem'Hadar.

They began to face fierce opposition as they reached the walls surrounding the government complex. He ducked down inside an Astro Commando troop transport, and two others joined him: Ranger Paul Hastings, who himself was once a sergeant major in the Earthforce Marines; and head of the Klingon troops in his section, P'tak, whose English was astonishingly fluent.

P'tak said, "Looks like we'll have to use the catacombs to get inside. I'm pulling some of my troops up to draw the Jem'Hadar forces out into the open, and I'll use my specialists to assist you in taking the palace through the catacombs."

Hastings replied in his crisp British accent, "My Rangers have scoped out an entrance that isn't heavily guarded, so we can jump them and get inside before they're wise to what we're up to. General Franklin will keep the Earthforce Marines up here and try to storm the complex up here. He said that he figures the best deception is to make it look like your committed to an all-out assault."

Knox nodded and added, "Sounds like something I'd do! I'll contact Wildstar and see if he can meet us there. We've got any Minbari warriors or Narns coming down?"

"Not sure yet, but since we've got orbital superiority, it shouldn't be a problem beaming them down where we need to if we can bring them into the fight.," P'Tak said.

"Then let's go! The element of surprise won't last long. The sun's setting, so let's do this as soon as it's dark.," Knox said, and the threesome adjourned the meeting.

Knox pulled enough of his troops out for the catacombs operation, and Hastings and P'Tak did likewise. As luck would have it, G'Kar's voice came over on the headset in his helmet. "Sergeant Knox, we've just arrived into the system, and Ashcroft will be beaming the troops down to where you need them."

Knox grunted as he ran to cover, then replied, "Good. I'm sending coordinates now!"

They beamed into a warehouse they had secured, and soon they had hundreds of heavily armed Minbari and Narn warriors to assist them, as well as a couple hundred extra Earthforce Marines. General Franklin joined them inside the warehouse and assembled his troop leaders in a hastily abandoned conference room. The imposing black human looked to Knox like he'd once been a drill sergeant in his youth, as he still had the temperament of one in his session. "Gentlemen, we have spotted another entrance into the complex, so we'll be splitting our troops into two and attacking from two different sides. They are to the northwest and northeast, while our surface assault is coming from the south. We don't know what forces we'll find inside there once we enter the catacombs, so make sure your troops are ready for anything. This will be the toughest kind of fighting, but seeing what kind of troops we have assembled, I'm confident that we will seize the complex. We strike in two hours time! Dismissed!"

Franklin gestured to Knox to join him and Wildstar as the others left the room. "Sergeant Knox, I just wanted to commend you for your excellent work in getting the surface assault underway. It's given us valuable time to bring a maximum force together to take these bastards out!"

"Just doing my job, General. My guys'll be ready to kick ass in two hours time.," replied Knox.

"Your guys won't be going with them, Knox. We've decided to launch a third stage of this assault, using those fascinating troop transports of yours. They'll fly in as the Jem'Hadar learn of the catacomb operation and move troops over to deal with it. Your boys, along with Wildstar's flyboys here, will make a rapid assault on the main palace. I have more EFMC troops ready to go, and we've got some Cardassian troops who are chomping at the bit in orbit to kick some ass. You'll be commanding the assault, Knox, and Wildstar will help with air cover."

"Thank you, General! We'll get the job done, especially with those Cardassian troops.," replied Knox.

Knox met up with his Cardassian counterpart, Gul Mardrak, at the staging area. "So you're Knox? Ready to kick these bastards in the teeth," said Mardrak.

"Well, I was considering kicking them in the ass. Tell you what, I'll kick them in the ass and you can kick their teeth down their throats,"  
replied Knox.

Mardrak laughed and said, "We seriously underestimated you humans! Back during the Dominion War, we heard out commanding officers rave about how weak humans were and it would be easy to occupy Earth. I never believed it, and I'm glad I didn't buy into it!"

"Damn straight! Us humans can be stubborn bastards when we have to be, that's for damn sure.," Knox said with a laugh, enjoying his conversation with Mardrak, but he got down to business. "So where's the head of the Earthforce Marines?"

"She's over there. Trust me, she may be a female, but I wouldn't want to tangle with her," Mardrak said with a wry grin and he patted Knox on the shoulder and left to go back to his troops.

Knox came up to the Earthforce Marine Corps troops, he asked to see their commanding officer. She was indeed imposing, and impressive, and Knox also found her quite attractive. "Sergeant Major Knox? I'm Sergeant Major Jean Laurence. Glad to be of service to you!" She stuck out her hand and he shook it.

"Glad to have you around for this assault. How's your troop morale?"

"Knox, these bastards and bitches are ready to bust some enemy nuts, especially after we found out about their cold blooded massacres," she said, waving a wisp of her medium-length red hair away from her face.She was tall and built, and Knox had to focus hard to not allow his hormones to get the best of him. "We'll be ready to head off when the time comes!"

"It won't be long, darlin'. The dance is about to start, and I'm ready to boogie," Knox said, then cursed himself for being so crass.

Instead of offending her, the comment seemed to make her eyes sparkle. There was no one else within earshot, so she walked up to him and shook his hand again, whispering into his ear, "If we survive this, let's just say I'll make it worth both our whiles!" She saluted and walked off.Knox smiled and saluted back, and prepared to make damn sure that he survived the coming assault.

His troops took off in their transports when word came of the catacomb operation meeting resistance. They landed with token fire, and none of the ships had been shot down. However, two ships were soon blown up as Jem'Hadar troops began to pour out of the buildings.

Knox found himself relieved to hear Laurence's voice in his ear. "They're coming out of the entrances there and there! Makata-san, hit'em with the PPG bazookas!" Knox looked over and saw two brilliant burst of light shoot up towards those very entrances and they took out about three dozen troops. Knox grabbed his rifle and led his forces towards the palace, and Wildstar joined him as they entered the palace. "Good to see you, Cap'n! Great work on the air support!"

"Yeah, but we didn't stop them from taking out those two transports. Luckily they were almost completely unloaded when they were hit, or we'd have lost more troops. We're taking a lot of casualties underground,"replied Wildstar as they made their way deeper into the palace.

They ducked on each side of a wall as they were pinned down by phaser rifle fire from Ragendorans in a main hall. "Something tells me we're getting close!" He took a grenade and showed it to Wildstar. Wildstar nodded and began to fire to cover Knox as he pulled the pin and threw it at the troops in the hall. They braced themselves on the other side of the wall and the flames and shock wave of the explosion ran past them when the grenade went off. They looked around and all the Ragendorans were dead.

"Sir, we've spotted Ragendoran ships taking off, as well as Jem'Hadar ships, from the spaceport.," called out Josh Conroy, head of the Black Tiger squadron.

"Leave them to the orbital ships, Conroy.,"

"Aye, sir," added Conroy, whose signal went to static for a few moments. Wildstar thought that he'd been downed, but Conroy's voice came into his ear again. "Holy...! Wildstar, they just nuked Bikaran, about 50 clicks south of here! I'm getting reports of other nukes going off!"

A chill ran down his spine, but then Laurence's voice came over the communication system. "Sir! We've just stormed a room and found several fusion bombs tied to a firing system. My boys have disarmed it, but I don't know if this is the only one. What's your position?"

"We're on the fourth floor. What about you," said Wildstar.

"We're two floors above you. Go to your left and there should be some elevators there. That's how we got up here. We're nearing the main offices, from what the surviving troops have told us."

"Good, we'll be up shortly," Wildstar said.

An hour or so of hard fighting later, they found themselves just outside the war room where the Ragendorans were held up. Methodically they came at them from three different directions, and soon the remaining Jem'Hadar and Ragendorans were killed. Laurence held out an explosive and placed it on the door. They raced to each side and she pressed the button on her remote detonator, and the door blew open. They raced in only to see one Ragendoran at the desk, with a pistol in his hand. Several Ragendorans and Jem'Hadar were dead in the room, and the lone survivor held the gun at his side.

"My name is Vorek. You may have won the battle, but you've lost the war," said Vorek, who promptly placed the gun to his head and blew his brains out.

Laurence cursed and said, "Damn! Check the computers and see if he's wiped out any information!"

"Good idea, Laurence! Knox, let's head out and take out any remaining opposition.," replied Wildstar. Knox followed, but before he left the room , he turned to Laurence and gave her a quick wink. She smiled, then covered it quickly as her troops came in.

Hours later, they sat beside one another at the top of the palace. They were too tired to do anything else but eat their rations and look out at the city. "Damned thing, war. Just when you think you won't see another one...," commented Laurence, who sipped some water from a cup.

"Yeah, but it's nice to have someone to commiserate with," Knox said. Laurence smiled and they kissed. "When we get back to DS9, maybe I'll have the energy to do something other than that with you!"

"Same here! I look forward to it, you big sexy ox," Laurence said as she put her head on his shoulder.


	78. Chapter 78

**Chapter 78 **

**C-Day**

**On board _Excalibur_**

**In orbit over Crubelli IV **

**February 25, 2378**

The _Excalibur_ opened up a jump point and flew back out into normal space, roughly fifty kilometers away from the station. As expected, it was heavily guarded, but Captain Matthew Gideon's idea of jumping in Whitestars close to the station proved to pay off big time as they took out several ships nearest to the station without a shot being fired at them.

Deslok's Gamilon forces engaged the Ragendoran fleets to Gideon's left, while the _Hercules_ and Alex Wildstar's EDF forces took down the Jem'Hadar ships to the right. That left the station and the remaining ships to Gideon and his forces.

Commander John Matheson pressed the earpiece into his ear to better hear some bit of information, then passed it on to his captain. "Sir, the breaching pods are ready, and so are the fighter escorts."

Gideon nodded and replied, "Good. We've had to wait too long for this. If we hadn't caught sight of that attack force heading to the wormhole,we would have been in much more trouble than we are now. Proceed!"

Matheson pressed a button on his console, and the signal to release the breaching pods was given. Thunderbolt fighters were launched first to provide escort, and Wildstar sent over what fighters he could to assist. The other Earthforce ships did likewise and soon the breaching pods had a healthy ring of protection around them. It would be necessary, as Ragendoran fighters soon came out to engage them.

Matheson watched the battle take shape on his tactical display, and despite losing more fighters than expected, the breaching pods soon made their way to their prescribed coordinates. "Sir, the pods are about to land on the station's exterior hull! All pods are accounted for."

"Good. Tell them to proceed with breaching as soon as they make contact."

"Aye sir!"

Pod after pod attached itself to the hull of the station, forming a vacuum seal. Then the pod's automated breaching torch went to work cutting a hole in the hull. A demolition charge was placed against the breach, and when it detonated, the metal of the hull that had been cut out flew out to allow a clear path for the invading troops.

What the invading troops soon found out was that the station was heavily automated, but booby traps loomed everywhere. They took heavy losses as they made their way to the central command facility. Jem'Hadar troops finally came out to fend off the invasion, but they were hopelessly outnumbered and soon beaten back. The Ragendorans knew the station was lost, so they beamed out to the remaining ships in a vain attempt to escape. However, before they could go to warp, several volleys from Deslok's forces as well as Alex Wildstar's ships laid waste to the fleeing troops. No one had been able to escape.

Three hours later, _Excalibur_ docked with the station, and Gideon made his way aboard. He was not surprised to see the sheer amount of damage to the station from the battle, but the amount of losses his troops had endured soured the accomplishment. They would have to call in for reinforcements because of the losses.

In the command and control center, Gideon sat down in the office and waited for all of his commanding officers to assemble there. IQ-9 came into the office, and Gideon manfully repressed a groan. He didn't doubt the abilities of the robot, just his behavior. "Captain, I have been able to decode the Jem'Hadar computer database. Here are the results!" The robot handed Gideon a computer pad and Gideon was thunderstruck at how fast the robot had worked. "Good work, IQ-9! Please continue to work on the computers and see what else we can find."

"Yes, Captain." IQ-9 rolled out, and passed Matheson on his way out. Matheson smiled and asked, "So how did our resident robot do this time?"

"Out-friggin'-standing, from what I have read here on this pad! He may be an ass, but he's a damn genius ass!"

"What does it say, Captain?"

Gideon scanned his pad again, then returned to his XO. "It's what we expected. This was to be the launching point for an invasion of the Alpha Quadrant, with the ultimate goal of going after Earth."

"Our Earth or Starfleet's Earth?"

"Both. According to this, they have amassed enough forces to do the job. What we have to do now is take them out. Contact Wildstar and Deslok and have them meet me up here. I have an idea as to what the next mission will be."

"Aye sir!" Matheson made his way out of the office, and Gideon returned to studying the computer report. His confidence of taking the station waned as he saw what he would be up against soon. But he was a gambling man, and the idea he had would be a major wager indeed.

"Are you sure about this Captain? You'll be running a huge risk by just relying on our wave motion guns to get the job done.," commented Alex Wildstar at the planning session later on that day.

"Understood, but we are outnumbered, so we have to find a way to even the odds, so to speak. We'll go after the main staging area for their forces, here, at Olak Prime. According to the communication reports from this station, it's a key center of the Ragendoran and Jem'Hadar war efforts. It also looks as if the Vorta are also involved in the logistical planning. If we can wipe out the ships, we can head down to the planet and see if we can find any Vorta with any intelligence worth gaining., "replied Gideon.

Deslok thought for a moment, then added, "We'll need the element of surprise, and we'll need to take out their smaller ships to allow Wildstar's destroyers to get close enough to use their wave motion guns. I suggest we use my ships to take out the smaller vessels. That will open the door for Wildstar's ships."

Gideon nodded and looked back at the tactical display. "Since you can warp your ships in close proximity to the enemy, that's exactly what we need. Work on their flanks and try and spread out their forces. That should give Wildstar what he needs to take down their main ships. Wildstar, you'll be in overall command of the operation."

Wildstar was taken back a bit by that information. "You're not coming with us?"

"No, because Riker and I will be attacking another staging area at the same time. Two more _Andromeda_-class starships are due here soon, so when they arrive, we'll launch the tandem operations. Also, your brother Derek will be sending any ships he can spare to help free up some ships from protecting Empock Nor and assist us in the offensive."

Wildstar nodded, "Well, we'll come through for you, Captain."

"I know. I have no doubts on that account. Dismissed.," said Gideon.

The two men left and Gideon was alone in his office. But it wasn't long until one of Starfleet techs, Shanna Mosley, came storming into the office. "Sir, please, on behalf of all the female techs, could you do something about IQ-9?"

Gideon sighed and asked, "Where is he?"

"Level four. We were working on a communication node and he helped us finish up the work. When we were done, he pinched my butt!"

Gideon walked out of the office past her and headed to the turbolift. Chief Miles O'Brien was just stepping off when Gideon was getting into the car.

O'Brien said, "Lemme guess: IQ-9 again?"

Gideon laughed, "Gee, chief, I didn't know you were telepathic! You might as well come with me, because you can stop me from disassembling that pile of bolts!"

O'Brien laughed and said, "Yes, Captain. I'll try to avoid your elbows when I restrain you."

They made their way down to level four to try and get through to IQ-9. While Gideon had other more pressing problems to deal with, he found this to be mildly amusing, so he dealt with it himself.


	79. Chapter 79

**Chapter 79 **

**Secrets of the Founders**

**Olak Prime **

**March 3, 2378**

The officer in charge of the fourth ship of the eleventh squadron didn't know what was warping in front of his ship, and he didn't have long to ponder as the Gamilon destroyer opened fire on his ship and blew it straight to hell. The other ships began to realize something was up, but Deslok's ships would warp in amongst the fleet and use their beam weapons to rip apart the Jem'Hadar attack cruisers. Gamilon high-speed cruisers and guided missile destroyers descended upon the larger Jem'Hadar Battle Cruisers and hammered them with missiles and heavy beam weapons.

Deslok watched as the last of the smaller craft in his fleet was beamed out via the Space/Matter Instant Transforming Equipment, or SMITE, remote transporting units attached to the front of his ships. His first wave was attacking upon the left flank of the enemy, and his second wave was about to strike the enemy's right. "Launch precision bombers and torpedo boats, as well as the astrofighters! Have them assemble in front of our SMITE and we'll warp them en masse to the enemy's right!"

"Yes, Leader Deslok," said his aide, Talan, and went about informing the various ship's captains of the orders. Soon, swarms of fighters and bombers were in front of the ship, and Deslok gave the order to activate the SMITE machine. One by one, they were beamed out and warped into the heart of the enemy's right flank. The bombers descended upon the Battle Cruisers, releasing their guided bombs at them. They were unable to raise their shields in time as the torpedoes slammed home into the ships and blew them apart systematically. Fighters ganged up on attack cruisers and took them out as they moved to stop the torpedo boats.

With all this going on, the main staging complex was left alone, and ships began to move away from it to deal with the Gamilon flanking maneuver. From a distance, Alex Wildstar witnessed this all from the bridge of the EDS _Andromeda_ with little more than a grimace on his face. Part of him still remembered the Battle of Pluto, where his ship, the _Paladin_, was shot down. His crew was abducted and the ship was left to drift in space, later crashing on Titan, the largest of Saturn's moons.

He mentally shoved the memory down from where it came from and focused on what he needed to do now, and what that was involved warping his fleet into position to take out the main staging complex. He turned to the ship's captain, Brian Maddox, and ordered him to warp the ship as well as the rest of the fleet. His battleship, along with the others, warped to five kilometers of the complex. The complex's defensive grid opened fire, but they could not reach the fleet as they began to power up their wave motion guns. Just as they were approaching the critical point, the defense grid went down and a surrender message came from the complex.

Wildstar gambled and sent one of his space patrol cruisers, the EDS _Memphis_, to board and check it out. When it safely docked and it's crew made its way to the operational center of the complex, Wildstar ordered some of his other ships to dock. Deslok's ship also docked on one of the pylons, and the two former enemies met as they were making their way to ops.

"I wasn't expecting this, to say the least.," commented Wildstar.

"No, this is quite surprising. Have you spread out the rest of your forces just in case this is a trap," asked Deslok.

"Yes. I only brought in _Andromeda_ just in case they were sincere, but I sent the others out to a safe distance just to be safe."

They entered the main control room and saw that only three Vorta were left alive there. The Jem'Hadar who worked in the center had committed ritual suicide.

One of the Vorta, Orvak, asked, "What will you do with us,"

Wildstar replied, "For now, you are our prisoners."

"Understood. Where are the Federation ships we were expecting?"

"They aren't here, and that's none of your concern."

"Maybe it will be if I told them something about the Founders."

Wildstar looked at Deslok and the Gamilon leader was perplexed at this. "What about the Founders?"

"They're not all dead. Who do you think got the Jem'Hadar to go along with this to begin with?"

Deslok was nonplussed. "Are you saying that some of the Founders joined forces with the Ragendora and allowed their homeworld to be destroyed anyway?"

Suddenly, the boxy object on one of the consoles began to undulate and form into a humanoid being. When it assumed a humanoid form, it spoke to Wildstar and Deslok. "They did not want to exact revenge on you solids for our defeat, so we did what we had to do. They didn't deserve to..."

The being was vaporized by a phaser blast from Orvak. Orvak reholstered the phaser pistol and looked at them. "They have enslaved us for too long. The fools thought they were immortal, but, as you can see, they can be killed easily. We here are not alone in wanting to be free of these bastards. The Ragendora have taken over for the Founders, but they also are not immortal."

Wildstar asked, "How can you help us?"

Orvak pressed a console and a three dimensional display came up above the console. "Do you see this flashing blue light in this section of the galaxy?"

The two men nodded and Orvak continued. "This is where the main base is. We can help you defeat them, but it won't be easy. They have many warships there, and they are building planet killers to go after your worlds."

This troubled Wildstar, and he asked, "How long until they are ready to use those planet killers?"

"Not long. If you want to stop them, we must hit them soon and defeat them, or else they could strike at any time."

Wildstar looked at Deslok and the Gamilon leader said in a low voice. "We should contact Gideon. I recommend we trust these people."

"Why," asked Wildstar.

"Because from my ship's scans, they could have warned the Jem'Hadar about us earlier. My crew picked up a complex sensor system as we entered this area, but it had been powered down. I doubt the Jem'Hadar had done that."

Wildstar knew what he was about to decide could make or break the offensive in the Gamma Quadrant. "Ok, we'll take your assistance."

Soon enough, the decision proved right, as the complex was a veritable wealth of information. IQ-9 assisted with the computer downloads, and Alex Wildstar had a firm talk with the robot about his hijinx. He swore he heard Gideon whisper, "Thank God," when Wildstar had agreed to take the robot with him on the mission.

Late that night, during a conference with Gideon, IQ-9 brought more information to Wildstar. Wildstar glanced down at the information and his eyes went wide. "My God!"

Gideon asked, "What is it, Captain Wildstar?"

Wildstar looked back at the image of Gideon on the screen and said, "The world we were told is the center of the Ragendora efforts is also where many of the solids that the Founders had defeated are enslaved."

"So that's what happened to them? The Founders enslaved any who wouldn't serve them," asked Gideon.

"That or slaughtered them. I've just glanced over the first few paragraphs, but it looks like that the Founders were planning to do to us what they did to those in their own section of this galaxy."

Wildstar could tell Gideon was barely able to contain himself, and he was proven right as Gideon bluntly asked him to send over the information and cut the link. He didn't blame him for being outraged, as he was also feeling the same sort of rage inside him.

Gideon quickly grabbed the bottle of whiskey and downed a shot, then calmed long enough to get out the Apocalypse box for consultation again.

He asked simply, "What now?"

"Now is your time, Gideon. You are about to meet your destiny."


	80. Chapter 80

**Chapter 80 **

**Eye of the Storm**

**Crubelli IV Station **

**March 5, 2378**

Captain Matthew Gideon poured over the information he'd received from Alex Wildstar and he could see that what he faced would be difficult at best. He'd called in as many reinforcements as he could get, from Starfleet as well as Earthforce. The Legendora were sending more ships to assist, but even with their advanced technology it still looked to be a tough challenge.

The renegade Founders had a well-defended base in the Gora system, according to the Vorta records. There was always the chance that the records could be forged, but Gideon's instincts told him that he was going in the right direction.

Will Riker came into the operational center and Gideon gestured to him to be seated. "I just got word that _Wildstar_ will be here in another couple of days, as well as the EDS _Freedom_, _Liberty_, and the newest ship, _Victory II_. _Yamato II_ is also inbound, and Suarez will be bringing along several Klingon and Romulan ships with him. So it looks like we're going to have a sizeable force to go up against the enemy."

Gideon nodded and responded, "We're going to need them. Coming up with a battle plan is going to be tough, but we've got enough ships to do it."

"So what do you recommend our first move to be," asked Riker.

Gideon punched up a tactical display. "This is the Omnigra system. According to the Vorta reports we seized at Olak Prime, it's the main slave labor camp for the Founders. It's where they make most of their heavy weaponry. If we can seize the facility, we can deny the enemy those weapons as well as the chance to counterattack us once we've achieved the main objective."

"Which is?"

"The Gora system, where the renegade Founders are. If our intelligence is correct, then the Ragendora are assembling planet killers there. If they bring those into the battle, we're up crap creek without a paddle."

"Understood. So that's why we've called in all these reinforcements," remarked Riker.

"Correct. Our force will go after Omnigra, while I'll send Alex Wildstar and Deslok after smaller targets with their smaller forces. From the reports I've received, Deslok's tactical maneuvers really decimated the forces we expected to have to use Wildstar's wave motion guns on. So I'm giving him the responsibility of taking on the Jem'Hadar forces at Bullon, while Wildstar will deal with the Ragendorans at Xintoa."

Riker commented, "Good idea. There's one thing about the EDF I can say, they know how to fight."

"Agreed. I'd hate to go up against those Wildstar brothers in battle. If it's all the same to them, I'd rather stay on the safe side of a wave motion gun blast," Gideon said, as both men laughed.

Riker went back to his ship and checked in with his XO, then headed off to bed. He still couldn't get used to sleeping alone after sharing his bed with his wife for so long. But she was still being treated for the damage that Bester had inflicted upon her, and so she was in the best place to be treated for her condition. His fist clenched hard at the thought of what he'd do to Bester when he got his hands on him, then he shook his head and moved his mind to something else. Ever since his wife had been violated, Riker had been consumed with revenge. He knew it was something he should not dwell on, but a part of Riker couldn't stand having someone do something like that to his woman.

He slept, after a fashion, and awoke the next morning to a message from Starfleet. It was Admiral Rainier Boch, head of special operations for Starfleet.

"Will, I've got some good news about your 'brother' Thomas!"

Riker nodded his head, pleased at the news. While he and his "brother" weren't close, they had been bridging the gap in recent years. "Can I talk to him?"

"Not yet. He's still in the infirmary on Deep Space Nine. The blast caught him and threw him against a wall, so there's a lot of neural damage that's being repaired. He's only conscious for an hour or so a day, and they need to let him rest. However, I do have another piece of good news."

Riker was surprised at this. "What is it?"

"Thomas asked Ro Laren to marry him. He told her that if we all survive this, the wedding will be on Risa. Now, if that's not motivation to win this war and make it through in one piece..."

Riker smiled and said, "Understood, sir! That's the best morale booster I've had in a long time! Thank you sir!"

"You're welcome. And Godspeed and good luck to all of you in the Gamma Quadrant! Boch out!"

Riker's smile faded a bit, but he refused to let the gravity of the situation get him down. He had a great reason already to survive the war in the form of his wife, but now he had another wonderful reason to survive and triumph. He got up and went to the bridge to go about the business of achieving victory.


	81. Chapter 81

**Chapter 81 **

**Solids**

**Omnigra IV, Omnigra system **

**March 10, 2378**

The quote came to Gideon as he looked upon the survivors in the labor camp: "man's inhumanity towards man". He couldn't remember if he heard it in Mr. Gardner's English class in eleventh grade or Ms. Harper's history class in tenth grade. This was helpful because the sheer sight of the people in the camp brought up memories of the video he saw in Ms. Harper's class about the Holocaust that the Nazis committed against the Jews during World War II. Sure, there had been other holocausts in the three hundred years (his time) since then, but none had such shocking images of brutality as those that Hitler allowed to happen during his regime.

Here, though, were humanoids who were in various stages of death. All of them looked malnourished, and many of them had bruises, cuts and scrapes on their bodies. There were bodies of those deceased all over the place, and it looked like the Jem'Hadar had massacred many of them in some attempt to stir up fear not only in the survivors but in Gideon's forces as well.

Riker came up to him and said, "I don't care how jaded you are, seeing something like this just tears your heart apart."

"Yeah, I know. Bastards," was all Gideon said. His cool, calm demeanor was being shaken to the core by the sights he was witnessing at the moment. During the Drakh plague crisis, he remembered talking to President Garrison Hollifield one night and the topic of father's came up. Hollifield told him about the horrors his father had seen on Balos and on other worlds during the Dilgar War, and how it had affected him. The shock of the sights had left Hollifield's father so traumatized that he eventually had to be institutionalized for mental problems. To this day, the president's father remained at the hospital, unable to forget the horrors he witnessed long enough to deal with the real world.

Gideon worried that these sights would eventually do the same sort of damage to his psyche, but a small child came up to him and asked him, though his universal translator, "Are you here to help us?" As scarred over as his heart seemed at times, and as detached as he tried to become in situations like this, he couldn't help but to let a tear fall from his eye.

Later that night, at the medical camp that his crew had set up, Dr. Sarah Chambers walked out to her tent and met Gideon on the way there.

"Captain. How are you this evening," asked Chambers.

"I've been better. Seeing something like this... what's the status of the survivors?"

"Well, we've had five die because they were too far-gone, and about two dozen others who are on the verge of death. Thankfully a lot of the children have been saved, but we may lose some in the other camps. From the looks of it, these look to be recent arrivals."

"What about the other camps, doctor?"

"Riker and his crew are dealing with them. It's even worse out there, because at least this region has a moderate climate. One of the camps,for what passes as a tropical zone here, has seen massive causalities due to dehydration and starvation. This makes what Hitler and Tower did look like child's play!"

Gideon and the doctor talked for a little while longer, staying on business and keeping their emotions in check. However, as he went back to the headquarters, he passes by her quarters and heard her crying. He thought for a moment about going in, but thought better of it. He knew Chambers was a strong woman as well as a private person, so he left her alone for now.

Riker met him in the headquarters, located in the main offices that had been abandoned when the Jem'Hadar fled from the system.. "Something's been bothering me, Gideon."

"Just one thing. I'm surprised.," Gideon said bluntly.

Riker let the remark pass, mainly because he was feeling as emotionally drained as Gideon was, and said, "Why did the Jem'Hadar pull out without even a fight? Don't they know what kind of intelligence we can gain from a place like this? And this place is like a mother lode when it comes to a resupply!"

Gideon shook his head and said, "Honestly, I don't know. I know, I know, I should have some idea, but my mind's been a bit overloaded as of late."

Riker nodded soberly. "I know. Damned Jem'Hadar. Any news about the Vorta?"

"Only that they've been helpful in Deslok and Wildstar at Bullon and Xintoa. I got word not long ago. Deslok's forces took the Jem'Hadar by complete surprise and stormed the station before they could activate the self-destruct, and Wildstar's forces took out virtually all of the Ragendora at the dockyards above Xintoa. They've also reported similar situations as we've had here: humanoids in brutal captivity. They've sent their database and it looks like at least fifty different races have been enslaved."

"I know this isn't the time or place for this, Gideon..."

"Will, whatever you have to say, spill your guts."

Riker sighed and picked up a PADD from the table, handing it to Gideon. "From the looks of it, I believe that the Jem'Hadar and Ragendora are wanting to make a final stand at the Gora system. That's where the ships that fled this system appeared to be headed. If we'd been here a day earlier..."

"I know. Damned thing is that they were expecting us, or someone like us, to show up here. And, between you and me, I think they wanted us to see this camp."

"I think you're right, Matthew. Seeing something like this isn't going to be helpful to morale, to say the least. But we humans are a resilient bunch, and so are the other races in Starfleet."

Gideon replied, "No doubt about that. Now all we need to do is to find out what kind of force we'll be facing at Gora."

"When do we go after these bastards," Riker asked.

Gideon breathed out, then replied, "Reinforcements will be here within a week, and I want to send Deslok and Wildstar's forces to try and weaken the enemy with hit-and-run attacks. Deslok's forces seem to be extremely adept at that, and Wildstar's tactical abilities will serve him well in what I have in mind."

Over the next few days, many others died when a sudden and unexpected heat wave hit the camp. They managed to find several underground aquifers nearby to help quench the thirsts of those in the camps, but some simply could not be saved in time. The crew rationed their food as best they could to give to the survivors, but even that was not enough to save them all.

Captain Steven Ashcroft beamed down after the _Wildstar_ had entered the system and looked around at the camp. Riker and Gideon were there to meet him and escort him back to the offices. "Montgomery and Litinova will be down shortly with the medical supplies and foodstuffs. We met up with some freighters on the way here and escorted them here. Apparently the Jem'Hadar are fleeing to the Gora system in droves, and the Vorta are taking over."

"That's the news that we've been getting. It still baffles me. Why retreat to one system when they would be better served in fighting out in the open," asked Riker.

"If I had to guess, they have a surprise waiting for us at Gora. What that surprise might be...I have no idea.," replied Ashcroft.

"Any news on Derek Wildstar's campaign on Cardassia," asked Gideon.

"I heard from Ben Sisko before we entered the wormhole. They've been able to mop up the last of the resistance from the Jem'Hadar and the Ragendora, but many of their ships escaped. My guess is that they've headed out to either Breen and/or Tholian territory. Starfleet's moved some forces there for reconnaissance work, but we've not been able to tell what they're up to. Wildstar's also been sending out forces into the rest of the Cardassian territory to see if any additional forces are being hidden from us.

Ashcroft stopped as he came upon the burials of those who had not been able to survive. "Damn. Seeing something like this..."

"Yeah, I know.," was all Gideon said as the three stood there and watched as the crew helped to bury those who had passed on with the dignity they deserved. They had already filled one hillside with those who had been found in warehouses nearby and were busy working on another one off to their right.

"We have to beat these bastards. After seeing this, I don't care if I or my crew have to die for it, but I want these bastards," said Ashcroft with a savage voice.

"I think that goes for all of us, Captain.," Gideon said.


	82. Chapter 82

**Chapter 82**

**Liberation Day**

**Gora system**

**March 21, 2378**

Ashcroft took the _Wildstar_ out of warp and he ordered his five _Defiant_-class ships riding piggyback to deploy and attack the enemy. The Jem'Hadar came at them in swarms and two of the five ships were taken out immediately. His crew had no time to react to this as they were heading after one of the main battle cruisers.

"Prepare to fire quantum torpedoes on my mark," ordered Ashcroft.

"Aye sir," responded Lieutenant Commander Belinda Montgomery, Ashcroft's tactical officer. She worked her console and had the forward torpedo tubes loaded with the warheads. "Torpedoes ready, Captain!"

"Fire," ordered Ashcroft, and a slight rumble went through the ship as the torpedoes fired off. They slammed into the cruiser moments later and did heavy damage, but did not destroy the massive ship. The ship fired back and its beam weapons bounced off _Wildstar_'s shields.

"Damage report," Commander Katrina Litinova called out. Engineer Hosea Barton scanned his console and replied, "Minor damage to the outer hull! No breaches reported."

"Return fire, Ms. Montgomery. Use main phasers," Ashcroft commanded.

"Aye sir," replied Montgomery, who set the target coordinates and then fired the main phasers. Unlike the traditional phaser banks, which could fire at a ship from a variety of directions, the recently added main phasers had to be aimed by pointing the ship at the target. However, these Legendoran weapons were much more powerful than regular phasers, and the Jem'Hadar cruiser was sliced apart and destroyed by the ship, which flew through the widening gap between the sections of the ship.

"Good work, Montgomery! Now, find us another target," Ashcroft commanded.

Meanwhile on the _Excalibur_, Gideon's ship was under tremendous fire. He was almost knocked out of his chair a couple of times, despite the combined efforts of the Vorlon defense system and the shielding technology from Starfleet.

"Status report," he called out to Matheson.

"Sir, minor damage to decks 22 and 23, and the automatic targeting systems for the particle beams are out! They've switched to manual on their own initiative."

"Good. Keep us heading towards the planet. We have to find those planet killers!"

Out on the right flank, Alex Wildstar commanded the _Andromeda_ along with his half of the EDF fleet. Captain Brian Maddox had been wounded when his console blew up in front of him. His arm took a lot of shrapnel, but his face remained unscathed. He'd live, as he said, but he was out of the fight for now.

Two attack spacecraft carriers, the Italy and the Mexico, were lost by kamikaze runs from Jem'Hadar ships, but the rest of the carrier fleet (_America, France, Germany, Russia, Japan, China_, and _Australia_) were able to launch their attack craft. _Andromeda_'s sister ship, the _Orion_, was flanked by several main space battleships: the _Texas, British Columbia, New South Wales, Provence, Sicily_ and _Sao Paolo_, and they began to break past the enemy's line with blasts from their shock cannons.

Wildstar turned to the exec on the Andromeda, Jerome Jayson, and asked, "Where are our space battle cruisers?"

"Sir, the _Mumbai, Marseilles_ and _Miami_ are to our left and _Tokyo, Sydney_, and _Caracas_ are to our right. Others are coming into the line, as well as into the line alongside the _Orion_. We've also been joined by carriers _Norway, Egypt_, and _India_. Our bombers are ready to make a run at their battle cruisers at your command," replied Jayson.

"Very well. Launch them as well as all fighter squadrons. We need to take the battle cruisers out so we can get our wave motion guns into position to destroy the planet killers!"

Deslok was on the left flank, and he was using his ships like an orchestral conductor. He was beaming in his "Exterminator"-class destroyers, high-speed cruisers, guided missile destroyers, as well as his fast destroyers, along with swarms of fighters, bombers, and torpedo boats. From his flagship, he watched as his smaller ships began to soften up the enemy for his battle carriers and garrison battleships.

Talan, his aide, reported to him on the status of the battle. "Leader Deslok, our ships have begun to open up holes inside their flank. The bombers and torpedo boats have worked havoc on their attack cruisers and battle cruisers. We're ready to move the main battleships up into the line whenever you are ready, sir!"

Deslok nodded, not looking at Talan as he scanned his tactical display, saying, "Recall the fighters and other ships, then move us into the line. Have them refueled and reloaded and prepped to send off after we complete our first few volleys from our shock cannons."

"Aye sir," replied Talan, and went off to comply with the order. Soon, the shock cannons on his vessel moved to target a burning Jem'Hadar battle cruiser and fired, ripping into its right side and hitting the warp core, blowing it apart. His other ships followed suit and soon the line began to crumble in front of him. From his vantage point, he could observe the tactics of the enemy. The Jem'Hadar ships served as the front line of the defense, while the Ragendorans comprised the forces at the rear.

As they drove closer and closer to the heart of the enemy's position, Gideon's forces began to meet much heavier resistance. It was going as well as could be expected. Or so he thought.

Suddenly, there was a message from the _Hercules_. "Gideon! Our warp core's been hit! We need your cover fire to evacuate the ship!"

Gideon didn't miss a beat. "Tell the _Missouri_ and the _Cleopatra_ to form up in front of the _Hercules_ and give them cover fire. See if we can get some of the smaller Starfleet vessels to assist us in the evacuation!"

Matheson was about to dispatch the orders when four Jem'Hadar attack cruisers slammed into the _Hercules_, and Gideon could tell there was no hope at all. "Beam whomever you can off the bridge," he said to his crew, and they complied. Their makeshift transporter room beamed in three dozen people before the _Hercules_ went up in a massive explosion.

Riker was among those beamed out, but he was badly injured. He didn't even bother to protest about being taken from his ship, as he could tell that his wounds were severe. His command panel had exploded before he was beamed out. "Let's get them to medlab. C'mon people, let's move it," yelled out Dr. Chambers as her staff hustled the wounded away.

Ashcroft saw what had happened and took a risk. "Prepare for saucer separation! Power up saucer section warp core and arm warp core phaser banks. Litinova, you'll command the warp drive section!"

Litinova sprinted to a turbolift car, yelling back, "Aye sir!" She was there in a matter of moments. Once on the warp drive bridge, she finished the preparations for the separation. "Ready to separate, sir," she called out over the ship's intercom.

"Separate. Helm, move us away at course 110. Litinova, move your section away at course 60. Attack enemy ships at will!"

"Aye, Captain. Good hunting to you!"

"Likewise, Commander," Ashcroft replied, managing to suppress his worry over Litinova's fate. They had become close as of late, and things looked like they may move beyond mere friendship. Both of them, though, had decided to wait until the war was over to see where the relationship would go. That is, if they could survive.

The separation came as a surprise to the enemy attack cruisers, whose suicide run was thwarted first by the separation, then by volleys of quantum torpedoes from the rear tubes of the saucer and warp sections. Two of the Defiant-class ships that the _Wildstar_ carried moved alongside the saucer section, but one was taken out by two Jem'Hadar cruisers and barely missed the other as it spun out of control and crashed into a Klingon bird of prey.

"How much longer until Wildstar's ships are within range of the planet killers," asked Ashcroft.

"Twenty minutes, sir. But they're facing very stiff resistance. They're through to the Ragendoran back lines and they're taking heavy fire"  
replied Montgomery.

"Send word to Gideon that I'm taking my ships to draw off as much of the enemy we can from Wildstar. Hopefully this will help him kick down the door and get in range to blow those planet killer straight to hell!"

"Aye sir," said Montgomery and she busily sent off a message.

"Sir, Ashcroft is taking his force to bleed off resistance in front of Wildstar's line," said Matheson.

Gideon nodded and said, "Tell him we'll send some Whitestars his way! Send Whitestars 222, 246, 319, 353, and 398 to assist him."

Matheson nodded and sent out the orders. "Sir, Commander Litinova is on the line."

Gideon was shocked at this. "Put her through."

Litinova came on screen, saying. "Captain Gideon. Ashcroft's taken the saucer section to deal with the right flank, while I command the warp drive section. We're here to assist you with the attack on the middle of the line."

Gideon shook his head. "Wait a minute...how?"

Litinova instantly knew that Gideon didn't know all of what the _Wildstar_ was capable of. "Sir, the ship can separate the saucer section and warp drive from each other. The saucer section has its own warp drive, so it's just as capable as the warp drive in battle. Now, what are out orders?" Gideon's mind snapped into focus and he sent them off with other Whitestars to deal with the first ships in the Ragendoran lines. To his surprise, he saw some of the larger ships moving out of the line.

Matheson saw something on his display and yelled out, "Sir, they've got some sort of vortex generator! Much larger than a jumpgate! They're starting to move ships through, and it looks like they're moving planet killers that way as well!"

Gideon ordered the communications officer to contact Litinova again. "Commander, the enemy's got a vortex generator. They're looking to escape! Head over there at best speed. We have to stop them from taking the planet killers out of here!"

Litinova nodded her head in a brisk chop and said, "Yes sir! We're on it!"

Wildstar saw what they were up to and moved his fleet to counter the tactic by the enemy. "Sir, the first ships are going through," called Jayson.

"How much longer until the first planet killer is within range of the vortex generator?"

"Fifteen minutes. I'm not sure if we can make it in time to stop it! Unless we fire from maximum range," Jayson suggested.

"Nah, we want to make sure we hit them. Tell the fleet to go to full speed and head directly for the vortex. We take that out at any cost,"  
Wildstar replied.

The battle now became a race against the clock as Deslok pressed the enemy hard from the left, decimating them as they tried to flee. Gideon and Litinova also began to slash into the line as the enemy began to go from defending to fleeing. They tried to launch a fighting retreat, but their tactics were not effective as the Romulan and Klingon ships took great relish in destroying the fleeing enemy.

A powered down planet killer came within range of _Excalibur_'s main gun. Gideon ordered Litinova to cover his ship as they activated their main weapon. Energy surged from the three points at the back of the ship, then sped forward towards the front of the ship, triangulating into one beam and shooting out at the planet killer. The powerful beam hit the power core of the massive structure and the planet killer blew itself apart.

Gideon's ship required a minute to recharge their energy cells after firing the main gun, and they were almost caught by Jem'Hadar ships. But Deslok's fleet swept through them and covered Gideon's left side, protecting _Excalibur_ from the attack.

"Gideon. There are two other planet killers within range. I can hit them with my Deslok cannon, but I'll need you to help get me within range," said Deslok.

Gideon nodded at the image and gave the order to protect Deslok's flagship. They took losses, but Deslok's ship got to within perfect range to hit both planet killers with one shot, as they sat side by side. They were powering up, but the process was a slow one.

The firing control rose up in front of Deslok and he took aim. The computer showed the optimal spot to attack the two objects, and when he had lock on, he pulled back the firing trigger and the massive buildup of energy shot out of his ship and struck the first planet killer, going through the first and impacting on the second. Both went up in huge conflagrations of fire and explosions, and Deslok's ship came back beside Excalibur.

Wildstar's fleet was within range of the planet killers. To his chagrin, one got through, but the second was not close enough to go through before his fleet would be able to fire their wave motion guns at them. The enemy crowded their planet killers together, in what looked like an attempt to get as many through as they could. All that did was make it easier for the EDF ships to fire on them.

"Wildstar, this is Ashcroft. Listen, we'll cover you as your fleet powers up. Let me know when you are within range to light the candle!"

"Roger. All EDF ships, this is Wildstar. Power up your wave motion guns. Target the planet killers!"

The ships came to relative stop and began to power up, while Whitestars and the fighters from the _Wildstar_ began to attack the Ragendoran fleet. The countdown came down to ten, and the allied ships scrambled out of the firing line. "10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1..Fire," called out Alex Wildstar.

All twenty-six ships with warp guns fired in sync, and their combined massive energy hit the grouped planet killers and overran them. The ten structures began to melt, then explode as the surging wave of energy began to rip them apart. Jem'Hadar ships, as well as those of the Ragendora, who had grouped themselves around the planet killers were wiped out.

The remaining ships, very few in number now, made suicide runs at the fleet, but they were cut down with relative ease. Gora, as well as the Gamma Quadrant, were free of the enemy's occupation.

However, the celebrations were muted when word came to Gideon of the situation with Riker. "How long does he have," he asked Chambers.

"Not long.," she said soberly, and stepped away as Gideon sat down at Riker's bedside.

Riker looked over and said, "Gideon. If you can...please...tell my wife I loved her...tell her that she will always be my Imzadi."

Gideon didn't know what Imzadi meant, but he grasped the context. "I will."

Riker croaked out, "Tell my brother that I love him...and that I'm sorry I won't be there for the wedding!"

Gideon replied, "I will. On my honor, I will."

Riker's death rattle came and he expired. Gideon placed Riker's hand on his chest and stepped away. Chambers made a quick scan for life signs, but it was academic that there were none. She made an official record into the log, then turned to Gideon. "I'm sorry.," she said.

Gideon nodded and went back to his quarters, where he knocked back another shot of whiskey. On this night, he didn't even bother with the apocalypse box. He was depressed enough as it was. There may have been a victory today, but the war was still far from over, and, to Gideon, he felt that the ships that went through the vortex would be heard from again soon.


	83. Chapter 83

**Chapter 83 **

**An Illogical Move**

**Vulcan Great Hall, Vulcan **

**March 25, 2378**

Ambassador Spock was walking through the corridors, chatting with government officials when the first reports came of enemy forces entering the system. The government wasted no time in sounding the alarm and instructing people to get underground. Spock was surprised, but not shocked by the tactic, as he expected the enemy would come to Vulcan before making the jump to Earth.

Senator Pital turned to the aged Vulcan and asked, "Spock, will they attempt a full scale invasion or will they just move on straight to Earth?"

"I do not know. However, I would say that preparing for the former has been a very sensible idea. If they come here for a fight, they will find themselves facing a much tougher foe than they expected."

Ambassador Tri'al concurred, adding, "We may have repressed our emotions, but that hasn't meant that we can't fight a war. I'm surprised that the Jem'Hadar have forgotten so easily."

Spock said, "My dear friend, the Jem'Hadar forgot because the Ragendora told them to forget. They figure that the new weaponry that they have acquired will make them tougher to deal with, so they commit themselves to tasks they would have though unwise before that ancient race showed up."

The Vulcan Defense Force, along with the few Starfleet ships in the area, put up a brave fight, but they were no match and were quickly dispatched. All was going well for the enemy when five of the battle cruisers suddenly took heavy fire.

Aboard one cruiser, one of the Jem'Hadar tactical officers turned to his commander and said, "Sir! It's the Borg!" The commander snorted and said, "Turn the fleet around and engage!"

It was to be a very fatal mistake, as the space soon filled with hundreds of Borg cubes. They had been changed, as Galen had found a way to deploy the kind of skin that the old Shadow ships used to have around the cubes.

Jean-Luc Picard looked on as the battle raged on from the deck of the Socrates and was pleased at the way the attack was going. Galen had taken the initiative and swarmed the right flank of the enemy from two different directions, cutting down ship after ship with ruthless efficiency. Meanwhile, on his left flank, Anna had managed to use some of what she had learned from her former husband to deal with the enemy. She had split up her forces into three groups and set up a triangular killing zone that none of the enemy ships emerged from.

The battle continued for an hour, as other enemy ships came in to try and stop the Borg. They were unable to deal with the advanced cubes and soon went down to defeat at the hands of the Borg. No cubes had been lost, as the Shadow skin had provided an even greater shield than the cubes had already. Picard hailed the Vulcan Defense Command, and Spock was there with the military officials.

"Captain Picard, it is good to see you again," said Spock.

"And I am glad to see you, Ambassador! We came as soon as we picked up the distress signal.," Picard replied.

Later, Spock beamed aboard the cube, something he never thought he would ever do. From Starfleet intelligence he'd seen, he expected the interiors to be very utilitarian, but what he saw was a pleasantly decorated place. Some of the rooms he went into even had tapestries, which made him remember something that his former commanding officer, Captain James T. Kirk once said.

"You know, I think I've seen everything now.," said Kirk one day on the bridge of the old _Enterprise_. The saying had briefly perplexed Spock, and he asked Kirk why he said it. "Because Scotty has this ship running smoothly for a change" was the reply he got.

Spock entered the command center for Socrates and nodded at Picard. "I must say, Picard, that I am rather surprised to see the inside of a Borg cube. Much more surprised in the fact that I see tapestries in some of the rooms. Most fascinating!"

Picard smiled and said, "The tapestries are the idea of the technomage Isabelle. We've been trying to change the interior from its more austere origins to a more pleasant atmosphere." He gestured to a woman in a black robe with short strawberry blonde hair.

Spock nodded at her and said to the whole crew, "Welcome to Vulcan!"


	84. Chapter 84

**Chapter 84 **

**Borg 2.0**

**On board _Socrates_**

**March 28, 2378**

The technomages still had their Circle, their ruling body, but it was nearing time to make changes to their order. The process that had merged the telepaths, Borg, and technomages had infused them with myriad abilities. Now, as Galen walked through the halls of the cube, he could hear the background noise that telepaths had been dealing with since their emergence on Earth in the early twenty-second century.

Galen walked into the commissary and saw his love, Isabelle, eating breakfast with Lyta and Byron. The four had become close friends after the merging process, which baffled Galen somewhat. All his life, he'd been an introvert, with only the brief time that he'd been with Isabelle shortly after his initiation into the technomage society where he'd opened up. Then came the day on Z'ha'dum when he had found how to free the tech inside his body and allow his tech to fully join with him, and he had managed to finally calm the demons inside him.

Now, to many of the technomages' surprise, Galen was the veritable life of the party. His old mentor, Elric, was even speechless at the transformation that had occurred with Galen. But to Galen, it was simply the result of freeing the tech inside himself and inside all of the others, Borg included.

The process that he had proposed would merge the Shadow tech with the Borg implants as well as the telepathic gene. It had been a risky endeavor, but he managed to convince the two people key to the whole operation: Lyta Alexander and Anna Sheridan. The process grew out of the attempts to "deprogram" Anna from the deeply rooted instructions that the Shadows, and later the Ragendora, had programmed inside her. Now, her mind was free and she had turned her energies to helping the Borg enhance their ships with the Legendoran technology. She had been able to exceed herself, and was an inspiration to all of the young ones.

Elric peaked in at the foursome seated at the table and then continued on his way. Despite the rejuvenation he felt from the process, he still was his old stoic self. The Circle was still in tact, after a fashion. They missed Kell, their former leader who had fallen into disgrace because of his actions regarding his knowledge of the Shadows, had opted to stay out of the reformed Circle. Herazade, Blaylock, and Ing-Radi were there, and so was their newest member, Alwyn.

Alwyn used to harangue the Circle for the way they led the mages, and Elric never though that there would be enough support to get him elected to the Circle. However, Blaylock, of all people, had championed his bid. Alwyn was the most shocked that his most vehement critic would be the one who would also be his most ardent supporter.

As he sat down at the head of the table, Elric felt the burdens of being the leader of the mages again. It was a position he did not want, but he accepted it because of the need that the mages had for someone like him to shape their future. "Let us begin the meeting. The agenda for today is for the expansion of the Circle to allow the Borg and the technomages to elect representatives."

The debate was intense, but not heated. Intellectual, but none too emotional. Elric had figured that passing the measure was a given, as Alwyn and Ing-Radi would support him. Blaylock would seem to be the most opposed, yet he announced in the meeting that he would support the measure, albeit with his own addendum.

"I believe we need an addition to the Circle when it comes to ruling us, especially given the addition of the telepaths and the Borg. To aid in the synthesis of our three sides, I propose a legislative body to be elected at each convocation. They would assist us, the Circle, which would become the executive body, in setting policy.," said Blaylock.

"May I ask when you did a mind meld with President Garrison Hollifield, dear Blaylock," joked Alwyn. Blaylock took the jab in stride and continued, "We can fully shape the idea at the next convocation in three years time, but for now, it is something we should consider."

They talked late into the night, finally breaking around 1am ship time. Picard had recommended the Earth clock because the majority of those who went through the process were human, and, as such, their bodies were used to the twenty-four hour clock.

Picard had his own worries at the moment, as the shuttlecraft that he'd been expecting finally made it inside the cube. He went down to the shuttle bay and met the arrivals.

Deanna Troi looked like he'd expected her to look: shaken and weak. She had heard of the news of the loss of her husband and had been virtually inconsolable. Dr. Beverly Crusher had come along to monitor Deanna, as well as her mother, Lwaxana.

"Are you sure about this, Deanna," Picard asked her.

"Yes, I am. Otherwise, I'd have nothing left to live for. Without Will, life seems pointless. This, though, could help me see the light again,"  
Deanna said with a sad smile.

Lwaxana turned to her daughter and asked, "Be well, my child. I wish you did not do this, but if this is what you want, then I will accept it and be happy for you!" She hugged her daughter and wiped a tear from her eye.

"I'm staying," Crusher said suddenly, and caught everyone off guard.

Picard was thunderstruck, and tried to make words come out of his mouth with no luck. Crusher added, "I love you, Jean Luc, and I cannot stand being in a universe away from you anymore! If I can safely undergo the process, then I will join you and the others. I am sure it's safe for Deanna, but not so sure about me. Nevertheless, I am not leaving your side ever again."

Picard walked up to her and asked, "You sure?"

Crusher touched the back of his head and smiled, saying, "I've never been surer of anything in my whole life!" They embraced and kissed, and Lwaxana turned to her daughter and whispered, "Lucky gal!" For the first time since learning of her husband's death, Deanna smiled.

A couple of days later, Deanna Troi and Beverly Crusher were lying in the tubes used in the conversion process. They had been thoroughly examined by the Borg and the technomages, and they found that both could take the process without risking their health or lives. As the process began, Picard and Lwaxana Troi sat in the office above the floor where the tubes were kept.

"What is to become of my daughter, Jean Luc," she asked him.

"I do not know. Once the war is over, we'll be able to sit down and decide about things. The technomages' Circle has been open to allowing five members from the Borg and five members from the telepaths to join and help govern us. Where we'll go from there...I don't know."

"Well, I hope she'll be all right. You should have seen her when she learned of Will's death! It was like her heart had been ripped out of her, tossed to the floor, and stepped on! It was heartbreaking to see!"

"I can imagine so.," Picard said. "When I learned of Will's passing, I had a hard time dealing with it, and still do. He once said to me, 'I intend to live forever'."

"Ah, the invections of youth! I remember saying such nonsense as a young lady!"

"Well, the Legendora can live almost that long. From my dealings with them, I've learned one thing."

"What's that," Lwaxana asked.

"That life should be short, so we can appreciate the time we have. I get the feeling that they are tired of having lived so long. It's like they are wanting to pass the torch to someone, only they haven't found a suitable recipient yet."

"Could that be us?"

"Possibly. I think that is part of the reason why we are all here."

Anna Sheridan knocked on the door and entered. She said to Lwaxana, "Ambassador Troi, the procedure will take several hours yet, so I took the liberty of preparing a room for you to rest."

"Yes, thank you. Jean Luc, would you please inform me of when the procedure is finished? I would like to see my daughter before I leave."

"Of course.," said Picard, and Lwaxana left with Penelope, who had come with Anna.

Anna walked up to Picard and said, "Seeing her eyes when I met her for the first time reminded me of what it must have been like when John found out that I was dead. I hope that being with us can help heal her."

"I hope so too. How much longer will they be in there?"

"Another twelve hours. You should get some sleep. There is a meeting in the morning to decide who will be on the new Circle. I suspect that you'll be a part of it."

"What about you, Anna?"

"I'll do what I can. I'm technically considered a Borg, since I have no natural telepathic abilities, but I've not been among the Borg long enough to feel like I've been able to be a leader to them."

"You might be surprised, but then again, you never know with elections. Come, I need some rest, and I bet you do as well."

Anna shook her head and they departed the office, with Picard looking back out the window one last time at the tubes where Beverly Crusher and Deanna Troi were being transformed.


	85. Chapter 85

**Chapter 85 **

**Cracking The Shell**

**On board _Socrates_**

**April 2, 2378**

Deanna Troi awoke early that morning, restless with the energy coursing through her body. The combination of the enhanced Borg implants and the enhanced telepathic gene had given her abilities far beyond what she had ever though possible. Whereas before she was only able to pick up feelings, now she could easily slip into someone's mind. However, she had to resist that temptation, as the natural telepaths had told her that she should be careful whom she "scans" with her abilities.

For the past few days since the completion of the procedure, she had undergone training for her newly enhanced telepathic abilities. At first, she seemed a bit frustrated because of the slow pace, but she soon understood why there was a reason for this: she had never been a full-blown telepath, and she soon was finding out the negative side of telepathy. She learned to create "mental walls" inside her mind so she could block out most of the "voices", thoughts that she could hear all around her. Soon, she was able to create walls thick enough to hold out all but the simple "buzz" of background noise.

She went to the commissary and met Beverley Crusher there. They got their food and sat at a table to eat. "How are you doing with your training, Bev," Troi asked.

"About as good as can be expected. They're being slow with me, just getting me to build mental walls and such. Who've thought being able to read someone's mind would be such a hassle," Crusher replied, with a laugh at the end.

"Well, from what I can tell of these human telepaths, they have good reason why. Back on Betazed, telepathy is a natural thing. We grew up in it, and me being half-Human was a bit of a hindrance. When I was a kid, the others would wonder why I wouldn't converse with them telepathically, and I had to tell them about my being only empathic.Let's just say I got my fair share of teasing."

"How are you holding up," asked Crusher.

Troi sighed and said, "Better than I thought I would, to be honest. I still feel like the universe has crashed down around me, what with Will gone and all."

"I know. I went through the same thing with Jack ages ago. It still tears me up from time to time when I least expect it."

"This may sound strange, but I'm sort of glad there's a war going on. Helps me to stay busy and not dwell on...well, you know."

Crusher nodded her head and said, "Believe me, I do! Where do you think I got the whole workaholic thing from?"

Deanna laughed at that comment, then said, "Who would have ever thought we'd wind up in a Borg cube, sharing a leisurely breakfast, in the middle of a war? I mean, the absurdity of it all!"

"Yeah, and all this talk of crossing universes and timelines and such! I've heard that Temporal Investigations is swamped with all of this, but what can they do? We're in the middle of a war, and Starfleet can't worry too much about timelines at present."

Inside an office overlooking the commissary, Picard, Elric, and Penelope observed the two newest persons in their group. "They're taking to all this better than I expected, Picard.," said Elric.

Picard replied, "I've known these two women for many years, and I had no doubts whatsoever. Even with Troi and the loss of her husband, I knew they would be able to cope with it. Of course, it won't be easy for them, but they're Starfleet officers, damned good ones in my book, and I knew that they could handle this."

Elric nodded and said, "Well, it's time we left them to their own devices. For now, we've a meeting to attend."

The first meeting of the newly expanded Circle began without much fanfare. The fifteen members assembled around a simple conference table, with the five original members seated at the head of the table. Elric had been confirmed as the leader of the group, albeit the title was unofficial. Blaylock, Herazade, Ing-Radi, and Alwyn composed the technomage side of the fifteen, while Picard, Anna Sheridan, Penelope,Ariadne, and Horatio comprised the Borg contingent. The telepaths had chosen Byron, Lyta Alexander, Bill Ramseur, Monica Darcelli, and Harriman Gray. Gray had been helpful in helping with the military aspects of the group, and his usual nervous nature had subsided as he gained confidence within the group.

Gray was recognized when the time came for a presentation about the progress of the war. "According to Starfleet, they are still unsure exactly what happened to the planet killer, or planet killers as the case may be, that escaped through their vortex generator. We seem to think that it may be a portable jumpgate from my universe of some kind, but we're not exactly sure about that."

Picard asked, "So they could theoretically just pop out anywhere?"

"Not exactly. The risks of just jumping out without an idea of where you were are considerable, so I think they have an idea of where they were going. As much as I wish I could report where they were headed, I can't. The _Excalibur _did a thorough scan of the abandoned portable gate, but they could not find any information to tell them of where they might have jumped to.," replied Gray.

Horatio spoke up, "It is important to note that the Breen were allies of the Dominion during the war, and no one has heard much from them since the war began. Also, the Tholians have been unusually quiet during all of this, and we all know that there is an uneasy peace between them and the Federation. With the Romulans and Klingons effectively gone from the power structure of the galaxy, they may see this war as a way to fill the vacuum and avoid complete domination by the Federation."

"True enough. But without evidence, they could be a convenient scapegoat for all we know. I suspect them, but I would not focus all my efforts on watching them.," Blaylock added.

"What I can tell you in my dealings with them is that they need allies just as much as the Legendora, and that they have lost three big ones in the defeat of the Comet Empire, the imminent defeat of the Drakh, and the liberation of Cardassia. Their number of possible allies grows smaller, but that doesn't mean that they are any less dangerous. In fact, they may be planning to strike in one last attempt to win the war.," said Anna Sheridan.

"That's what worries me. We've beaten them in pretty much every battle we've faced them in, but we're not sure just how much of a force they have left. And, we're not sure just how much of what's been going on in the universe where _Yamato_ comes from since their Earth was destroyed and their version of Z'ha'dum was wiped out. We've been busy fighting battles in our universe that we've not been able to guard the other two as much as we should.," said Picard.

A distressful murmur went through the room at this thought. "It seems as if you have hit upon something quite troubling and altogether too realistic, Picard. Have you discussed this with Starfleet yet?"

"Not yet, but if you all want me to do so, I'll contact them as soon as possible. Starfleet is just now getting back on its feet after the destruction of San Francisco, so I'm sure they've not had the chance to catch their breath and see what we've been able to deduce."

"Contact them as soon as possible. They need to know about this. It may not be much, but at least it'll keep them on their toes. In this war, that may be the best kind of defense to have.," said Blaylock.

The meeting moved on to other affairs, but Elric was distracted by the thought that Picard had added to the discussion. _Where had those ships gone_, he thought, _and what are they up to_?


	86. Chapter 86

**Chapter 86 **

**Desperate Measures**

**Tholian Homeworld **

**April 8, 2378**

Morden knew that the Ragendora were frustrated and that things were falling apart for them in their campaign to defeat their bitter rivals,  
the Legendora. All across the various dimensions and universes, their campaigns had met with defeat, and they were getting desperate. The loss of Cardassia and Gora were major blows, and the reappearance of the Borg at Vulcan had even the calmest Ragendoran freaking out.

They still had plenty of ships and troops to deal with the situation, but being cut off from the Gamma Quadrant and the Cardassian Union meant that their supplies of ketrocel white were no longer infinite. They had to act soon, or things could get really get desperate, as the Jem'Hadar were already becoming discontent with the way the war was going.

So he had come up with a bold and daring plan, and he believed that, if they pulled it off, it could help them turn the tide of the war. They had been cautious as to the two targets he picked for the new offensive before, but caution would not help them now. If they could pull this off, then both the Federation Earth and the Earth Alliance would be open to an even greater offensive.

Goral was the Ragendoran operative on the Tholian homeworld, and he was just as moody as the others he'd dealt with. Defeat after defeat had harmed their cause and hindered their momentum, not to mention that morale was low. Goral wanted to change that, and when he heard of Mordan's idea, he took it and ran with it.

Morden entered into Goral's office on the main Ragendoran battle cruiser and saw an unusual sight: a Ragendoran smiling. "Morden! Good to see you! I want to thank you again for coming up with this idea!"

"My pleasure. I know that things are getting desperate around here, and I recall an old Earth saying: 'desperate times call for desperate measures'. I think that the Legendorans and their allies would really be hurting if we took two of their main bases of operation away from them."

Goral nodded and said, "Indeed. And that would pave the way for our invasions of both Earths. We only recovered one working planet killer from Gora, and we have to save it until we're ready to construct a new one. Right now, we're desperate for troops, ships, munitions, and such, so we'll have to save this last planet killer for a last stand."

"If we can pull this off, Goral, we'll have plenty of time to construct new planet killers."

"I know, Morden, but we've seen our plans go awry too often in this conflict! If this fails, we'll have only one last thing to do in order to win the war."

Morden knew what this was already, as there had been plans already in the works for this one last thing. "Can we trust the Breen and the Tholians?"

"No, but we have no choice. We give them control of the Federation and go from there. If we find we can't trust them, we can wait until we're strong enough to wipe them out. But for now, we have to deal with the hand we're dealt."

Morden got up and made his way for the door. "I'll head off to meet the remaining Drakh fleet. The Centauri and the Interstellar Alliance have been pressing them hard, but they still have a sizeable force to do the part we need them to do for us. Besides, if they are going down to defeat, why not take out the one bastion of light with them?"

"Indeed. You may go, Morden. Good hunting to you," said Goral. Morden then left and boarded a Ragendoran cruiser.

Days later, they met up with a Drakh cruiser in an abandoned sector of space near the Rim. One of the Drakh, Grunalla, spoke to Morden, "This smells like a last-ditch effort to defeat the enemy. Do you realize what will happen if we lose?"

Morden was not fazed. "Then we shouldn't lose. We have enough Jem'Hadar soldiers to board the station, and we can keep their defense grid occupied until we have boarded. From there, we head towards command and control and kill everyone in our way. Too bad Sheridan's not there, but he won't be happy to see his first wife's head on a platter."

Grunalla smiled and the two headed back to discuss matters. The war was about to take a very brutal turn for the allies of light.


	87. Chapter 87

**Chapter 87 **

**Storming Babylon**

**Babylon 5 Space Station **

**Orbiting Episilon Eridani 3 **

**August 4, 2271**

The attack had come out of nowhere, and Captain Elizabeth Lochley was barely managing to contain the panic setting in among the command and control staff. Drakh ships had jumped out virtually on top of the station and began firing at will. There were many Whitestars as well as several other ships from a variety of races, but the attack had come so fast that the ships had very little time to respond. But that attack was not what concerned Lochley at the moment.

"Where are the Jem'Hadar soldiers now," she asked.

A shaky tech named Donna Moss looked at her display and responded, "Security reports that they are just now entering Gray Sector. Their breaching pods are still attached to the torus in Yellow Sector. We're trying to find out if they are attempting to do something to the reactor, but communications are out with that part of the station."

"Contact Earth Central. See if they can send us more Marines. It's a blessing we've got the ones here right now, in addition to the EDF Marines. If they weren't here, we'd be in real trouble," replied Lochley, who turned to see Sergeant Major Webb Knox come into the Observation Dome.

"Captain! I've got my guys armed and ready to rumble when you need us. We've gotten together with the Earthforce Marines and mapped out a plan to take them boys down. But if you can get us even more bodies, it'd go a long way to helping us out," said Knox.

"I understand, Sergeant Major Knox, and I'm working on it, but don't expect it. I'm calling in any Minbari and Narn troops available. Right now, they're still holed up in Gray Sector, but the security we have there can't last forever, and they're starting to burn through the containment doors. If they get into Green Sector..."

"Understood, Captain. If they make it there, we'll be ready for them. Any idea if and when we can move any civilians out?"

A blast shook the station and Lochley looked at him and said dryly, "I guess that answers your question. I think part of the reason the Drakh are attacking are to prevent us from evacuating the station."

"Yeah, that would seem their intention. We'll start heading down into Green Sector and get ready for them there. I'll see you on the flip side, Captain," said Knox.

"Good hunting to you, Knox," she said, and they exchanged salutes. Lieutenant Commander Corwin came up to her as she made her way back to the office section of the Dome. "Sir, we've just received word that Deep Space Nine is under attack as well. It seems from the reports we've gotten from the ships coming through sector 14 that it's an all out assault."

Lochley looked down and said, "Just when it looked like things were going our way." Another explosion rattled the station as a Starfury crashed into the station.

Knox met up with his main Earthforce Marine contact, and his current girlfriend, Sergeant Major Jean Laurence at the entrance to Down Below. The vagrants that usually lived there had been evacuated by station security, so they were free to move around unfettered in the undeveloped sections of the station. "Knox! There you are! We've just heard that they've broken through the last containment door in Gray sector! They should be here any minute now!"

"OK. I'll head off to lead my boys against them.," Knox started to turn away, but Laurence grabbed his arm.

"If we make it through this alive, I just wanted you to know that I want to be with you," she said.

Knox smiled and replied, "Jean, you just gave me the best damn reason to stay alive!" She smiled and let go of his arm, and he headed off. She suppressed down her worries that she might not see him again and got her rifle ready for battle.

From down the hall, a cry came, "Here they come!" She pointed her PPG rifle down the hall and waited until the Jem'Hadar appeared. Several station security members raced past as well as several marines, then, a moment later, the Jem'Hadar came around the corner and into the hall.

"Fire," she yelled, and blasted a hole through a Jem'Hadar soldier. The battle for the station had just begun.


	88. Chapter 88

**Chapter 88 **

**Standing Between Evil and The Prophets**

**Deep Space Nine space station **

**April 15, 2378**

"How many ships have we spotted coming in," asked General Kira Nurys.

"At least one hundred, General. _Wildstar_ has deployed itself, and the Earthforce ships _Freedom_ and _Liberty_ have joined her. We've sent a signal through the wormhole to see if we can get any other ships to come to our aid. Gideon is sending as many as he can, but he says that to only expect the Whitestars because they're the fastest ships he has," said Commander Fuyuzuki.

"That's better than we were expecting, but it's not encouraging. We've got a handful of Whitestars already along with Klingon and Romulan ships, and Derek Wildstar is sending what he can already, but we don't know if we'll get here in time." Kira sighed and thought for a moment, then said, "Evacuate all non-essential personnel off the station and get them down to Bajor. We have four hours to do this before the first wave hits."

"Yes, General," said the commander, who went off to do her duties.

Kira went back into her office and began to read the latest on the fleet. "Message for you, General. It's from the _Wildstar_."

"I'll take it in here.," said Kira, and the image of Captain Stephen Ashcroft came on the screen.

"Nurys, how are you holding up," asked Ashcroft, who looked a little depressed.

"The best I can, Stephen. That's all I can do. You," said Kira, who was surprised at the tone of his voice.

"I'm hanging in there. We just got word from Babylon 5. The Jem'Hadar have stormed the station and look to have taken the fusion reactor."

Kira's breath involuntarily caught in her throat. "By the prophets, are they out to blow up the station?"

"Not sure, but it may be their last resort plan. They've been trying to evacuate the station, but the remaining Drakh fleet has been harassing the transport ships. The Centauri and Narn fleets are moving to assist them, but if they'll get there in time..."

"I know. Why do I get the feeling that this war has been about dividing and conquering us? It's as if they wanted to spread our forces apart and then come right after the key targets again."

Ashcroft sighed and replied, "You're right. And I think that if they succeed here and at B5, they'll go straight after Earth."

"Yeah, I think so too. Stephen, do you think we're going to make it?"

"I wish I could say yes, Nurys. I really do. But I don't know. All we can do is the best we can and let the fates play out. I've got to go. If I don't see you in real like, I'll see you in whatever lies beyond death."

Tears came to her eyes as she said, "See you soon, my friend."

Ashcroft nodded as he clicked off the monitor. He wiped the tears from his eyes and hit his com badge. "Commander Litinova, please come to my office."

Commander Katrina Litinova came into the office, her red hair tied up in a loose ponytail. They had become close in the last few months, becoming each other's confidant and friend.

"Yes, Captain., " she said, all dutiful.

"Katrina, I just wanted to let you know how much I have come to care for you in the last few months. I thought when you first came on board this ship that you were a stuck up gal who followed the book way too closely. Now that we've gotten to know one another, I still feel the same way,but I also see the warm, caring person beneath that exterior."

Litinova smiled and said, "Thanks, Stephen."

Ashcroft walked up to Litinova, placed his hand behind her head, and drew her in for a kiss. She accepted it and placed her hand behind his. The kiss lasted several moments before it broke apart.

"Stephen, I love you!"

"I love you, Katrina. And when this is all over, I want to be with you!"

"And give up all of this?"

"For you, I would leave this ship, go back home, and live the rest of my life with you!"

"Really?"

He kissed her again, then said, "Katrina, the only reason I stayed on this ship is because of the pain of losing my first two wives. I've done my part for the Federation, so when this war is over...I want you to be my wife!"

Katrina's tears intensified and she smiled, saying "Yes, Stephen. I'll be your wife once this is all over with."

Stephen wiped the tears out of her eyes and kissed her again. They enjoyed the moment for as long as she could, because soon enough, they'd have to go back to the business of war.


	89. Chapter 89

**Chapter 89 **

**Babylon Falling**

**Babylon 5 Space Station **

**Orbiting Episilon Eridani 3 **

**August 5, 2271**

Sergeant Major Webb Knox was having a very bad day. His platoon had taken huge numbers of casualties as the Jem'Hadar had taken level by level. They'd made them pay for it, but the Jem'Hadar had been reinforcing their troops from where they had breached Babylon 5's hull. They had managed to get some Narn reinforcements, as well as Klingon and Minbari reinforcements, as the forces of light had been able to hold off the enemy long enough to allow troops transports to dock.

On his level, in Green sector, none of the new alien troops had made his way down to where he was yet, but he did pick up his gal's remaining platoon. Sgt. Major Jean Laurence's troops had also taken heavy losses, and they combined their forces to try and stem the tide against the Jem'Hadar.

"Knox! They're getting into the mosque! Should we go topside to help out," said his communications tech, Corporal Marvin Reeves.

"Negative! Let the newbies handle it! We've got to keep these guys off of them! Jenkins, how long until they burn though the next pressure doors,"

"Five minutes, Sarge. Maybe less. They've gotten wise to the tactic and they've stopped using their phaser rifles to cut through. Bolivar just came in with a bunch of thermal grenades that Lochley sent down!"

"Sweet! I have an idea, Knox. C'mon," said Laurence, and Knox followed her to find out what she had in mind.

About fifteen minutes later, they had set up a trap for the Jem'Hadar. They had managed to channel them down a series of open pressure doors into a sealed corridor, where they had hidden the grenades, spread out and tied into a central detonator. The enemy filled the corridor and began to work on the pressure door. They didn't even notice the door behind them slide shut as Laurence's trap was set.

"Fire in the hole," she yelled, and the troops sprang for shelter as she pressed the trigger. A huge explosion followed and a massive ball of flame rolled just inches over her head.

"Whoo-hoo! Damn that was fun! C'mon you bastards! Let's see if we killed all them animals," cried Knox. His troop carefully went over to check the corridor, and they were relieved to find that all the Jem'Hadar had been wiped out.

"Not bad. And we still have enough grenades to do this about four or five more times. C'mon, let's go find us some craggy heads," Laurence said, and the Marines were off.

In the Observation Dome, the battle was turning bad again. _Voyager_ had been hit, and her captain had to take her out of the fight and get repaired. She barely managed to prevent a warp core breach, but the loss of the ship seemed to turn the battle against them.

"Captain, we've lost three more Whitestars, and the _Dominion_ is reporting fire on most of her decks. We've got Klingon and Romulan ships coming in to aid us, but we've also picked up more enemy ships as well.," called out Tamara Bass, one of her techs. Then Bass was killed when her console blew up in front of her, and Lochley was scratched on the cheek by a flying piece of it.

"Dammit! Check her for vital signs. If she'd dead, clear her out and see if we can get that console fixed," Lochley called out. She hated to sound as cold as that, but this was war and the enemy wasn't going to pause to let her attend to the wounded.

The battle raged on outside the station, and from what she could tell, their side was starting to lose the battle. The enemy was flanking them from both sides, and their forces were being made to cover all angles of attack, never being able to corner the enemy and force them to fight face to face.

"Captain, we've got more breaching pods heading towards the station! They're headed towards Blue Sector!"

Lochley closed her eyes, and began to realize that she was closing in on her own death. She took a moment to calm herself, then she ordered, "Break out the heavy weapons! If they want this station, they'll have to take it over our..."

"Sir! We're picking up...I don't believe it! Vorlon and Shadow ships!"

"Lemme see," said Lochley, and the tech punched up a schematic onto her screen. They looked at first to be heading to her own forces, but, to her complete bafflement, the Vorlons and the Shadows began to attack the Ragendora and the Jem'Hadar!

"My God, sir! The Vorlons and Shadows are joining forces! We've just picked up more Ragendoran forces and they're moving to intercept!"

Lochley could tell the battle was not yet over, but hope had been rekindled, in the most bizarre way possible!


	90. Chapter 90

**Chapter 90 **

**Guarding the Gateway to Heaven**

**Space around Deep Space Nine space station **

**April 17, 2378**

The Tholians, Breen, Jem'Hadar, and Ragendora attacked in full force and it seemed to General Kira that they were very close to overrunning the station. They were ignoring Bajor this time around, instead making attack run after attack run on the station. Their shields were holding, thanks to the Legendora and their technology, but even their advanced shields were not invincible.

"Shields down to 84, General and falling. Wildstar is trying to pull some of the ships away, but the enemy isn't buying into it. The fighters we got from the _Hercules_ are trying to join up with the Whitestars, but they're not having luck breaking through.," said Commander Fuyizuki, her executive officer.

"Tell them to keep trying. Maybe if we can hold on until reinforcements arrive, we can still win this fight. How's our supply of torpedoes holding out?"

"We've still got enough to last for another day, but not much longer. Besides, our shields will go before we run out of torpedoes at this rate," Fuyizuki said as the station was rocked by successive blasts.

On board the _Wildstar_, Captain Ashcroft was leading an assault on the next wave of ships. Try as his crew might, they couldn't take out as many ships as they wanted, as most of them moved to avoid the massive starship instead of firing on the ship.

His executive officer, Commander Litinova, turned to him with a suggestion, "Sir, I have an idea. Why don't we concentrate on the Breen and Tholian ships and let the station handle the Jem'Hadar and Ragendora? If we go after their weak link, perhaps they'll have to turn around and pay attention to us."

Ashcroft thought about it for a moment and nodded his head. "It's worth a shot. Trying to go head-to-head with the Ragendoran and Jem'Hadar isn't working. The Breen and Tholians are mainly acting as flank support, so if we take that away from them..." He turned to his tactical officer, Lieutenant Commander Montgomery, and said, "Peel away from the main force and go after the flanking ships. Tell the Whitestars to stay on the Jem'Hadar attack cruisers though. Maybe if we knock more of them out, they'll have to pay attention to us!"

"Aye, sir," said Montgomery. She directed their forces to head off to attack the Breen and the Tholians, and the tactic seemed to be working, as the Breen vessels began to break formation and engage Ashcroft's ships. The Tholians resisted at first, but the swift attacks from the Whitestars began to turn them towards his forces.

Then came a very bad piece of bad news: Jem'Hadar heavy cruisers were within range of the station, and they began to bombard the station's shields with their heavy weapons. The Klingon and Romulan ships tried to get at them, but the quicker Jem'Hadar attack cruisers did whatever they had to do to keep them off, even sacrificing themselves by ramming their ships into the Klingon and Romulan forces.

Montgomery shouted down a report to Ashcroft as the ship came under fire from the Breen and the Tholians. "Sir, the Jem'Hadar are starting to severely weaken the station's shields! They're down to 55 percent and dropping fast! Orders?"

"We have to do something about those attack cruisers! Pick a group of them, Montgomery, and let's see how many we can take out. Send our _Defiant_-class ships after them as well!"

"Yes, sir!"

Back on the station, General Kira was ordering her security forces to prepare for an invasion when one of the pylons suddenly blew up, and the pylon was perilously close to buckling. Kira sent emergency repair teams to deal with it and started focusing on what she could do to boost power to the shields.

"Sir, from what I observe of the enemy, I don't think they are trying to breach the station.," said Fuyuzuki.

"What makes you say that, Commander," asked Kira.

"Look! They've moved their attack cruisers away from us to deal with Ashcroft and his forces, but their battle cruisers are still firing at us from long range. If we concentrate our fire on them, maybe we can take some of them out and give Ashcroft some help."

Kira nodded and said, "Do it. Launch quantum torpedoes at them and back it up with heavy phaser fire."

"Aye sir," said Fuyuzuki and she went to go about doing that.

Despite the effectiveness of the maneuver, they were still taking heavy fire from the remaining cruisers. Shields fell down to under 40 percent and Kira began to run though when she would have to activate the self-destruct sequence. She had worked with Fuyuzuki to come up with a way to blow up the station and take out as many ships just in case of a scenario like this, and, much to her chagrin, it seemed like she would have to use it.

Ashcroft was unaware of what Kira was contemplating, as he had to deal with own ship's problems. "Captain! Our lower bow torpedo launchers are out, and our phasers nearby them are only operating at half-efficiency! Our shields are holding, but they are down to 75 percent."

Just as she was about to scan for the status of enemy forces, her console alerted her to something happening in orbit over Bajor. "Sir!  
Picking up a disturbance near Bajor! It's roughly around the same area where Babylon 4 appeared!"

"Thank goodness! Put it on the monitor," said Ashcroft. A bright light was forming above Bajor, and it solidified into Babylon 4, as well as a plethora of ships. He expected to see Legendoran and Minbari ships, but he was shocked to see other ships with them.

"Montgomery, tell me if I am crazy, but are those Shadow and Vorlon ships around Babylon 4?"

"You're not crazy, sir! That's what they are, and they are heading towards us," said Montgomery.

"Do you think that Babylon 4 has been taken over by those races," Litinova asked Ashcroft.

"If that's the case, Commander, then we're sunk. Let's see what they do.," said Ashcroft, who quickly grabbed Litinova's hand and squeezed it. Montgomery saw the gesture and she whispered a quiet prayer that the alien ships would avoid them.

"Vorlon and Shadow vessels approaching. They'll be on us in 5...4..3..2..1...," said Montgomery.


	91. Chapter 91

**Chapter 91 **

**Babylon Rising**

**Babylon 5 Space Station **

**Orbiting Episilon Eridani 3 **

**August 6, 2271**

The Vorlons and Shadows had run off the Ragendoran forces and guarded the space around the station as the Legendoran forces assisted their allies to the station for repairs. Captain Lochley was still dealing with the battle going on aboard her station, but she was able to breath a little sigh of relief as Earthforce Marine transports came through the jumpgate and began to dock with the station.

She was hailed by one of the Vorlon ships and she answered it. Instead of seeing an alien in an encounter suit, she saw Zoë on the video display screen.

"Hello, Lizzie," said Zoë, and Lochley's voice caught in her throat as she held down a sob.

Zoë and Lizzie had run away from home, making it to the rough back streets of Washington, DC. They were hooked on booze and drugs, and they were wallowing in the bad crowd that each of their parents had warned them against. Lizzie's mom had died not long before all this, and the pain of the loss had slammed an emotional door between father and daughter. So she had rebelled and this was the result: a young woman who was a promising student had been reduced to running around the streets of the former capital of the old "free world" looking for scraps of food as well as money for drugs and booze.

Lochley shook her head hard and fought the memory away. She focused and said, "Hello, Zoë. Tell me, why are the Vorlons and the Shadows here?"

Zoë replied, "They have settled their differences out in the space between galaxies, and they have come here at the request of the Legendora. They said that they would give you control of the galaxy, and they intend to protect you. Once we're done, we'll once again journey past the Rim."

"Tell them, thank you!"

"They know. And, Lizzie, it's good to see you again!"

"You too, Zoë!" Lochley logged off from the call, brushed away the tears, and settled herself. Then came her worst fear.

"Captain! The Jem'Hadar are trying to breach the reactor! Their attack cruisers are on a collision course with it!"

All the Jem'Hadar cruisers began to make a suicide run at the back end of the station, but the Vorlons and the Shadows cut them down one by one. None of the ships made it to the core, and the Jem'Hadar soldiers inside the station began to feel the trap beginning to close around them.

Lochley called into Knox and asked, "What's your position,"

"Captain, we're driving them towards the back of the station. Look, I have an idea. If we can corral them into the atmosphere monitoring station, can we drop pressure doors on them and expose them to space?"

"I think so. Keep driving them back and I'll get my techs to work on it for you."

"Make it fast, Captain, because the closer we get to the end of the station, the more likely we'll have to deal with them in a last stand,  
and I don't think they'll go down gracefully!"

"Understood, Sergeant Knox. We'll get back to you ASAP!"

Knox and his troops fought hard, in grueling level-to-level battles that made the urban combat drills he went through back in basic training look like child's play. He'd already been slightly wounded by blasts of phasers coming too close to him. His gal, Jean Laurence, was also banged up herself, but she still held herself tall and drove herself as hard as he was doing. She was dirty, her uniform was torn and filthy, and she smelled like she hadn't had a bath since last Christmas, but she looked like the hottest woman in the universe to him at that moment.

"What the hell do you think your doing ogling me, Knox? Let's go," she said to him, elbowing him in the stomach after she dragged him up from their break. He smiled and said, "I'll ogle whoever the hell I want, you bitch, and you can't stop me!"

She turned back to him and smiled and said, "Well, you sorry ass prick, I'll just have to kick you in the balls for that!" They looked at each other and laughed out loud, as their troops looked at them in bafflement.

They got serious. "Ready to raise hell on some Jem'Hadar, babe," Knox said with a wink.

Laurence winked back and replied, "After you, sweet cheeks!"

They drove the Jem'Hadar back with furious intensity. Despite being genetically created to be superior to humans, the Jem'Hadar hadn't counted on the human heart and its power, and they were finding that they were no match for it.

The Jem'Hadar retreated to a large warehouse just inside the hull, where they had breached to get into the station. Little did they know, but they were heading straight into a trap. The last of them entered into the warehouse and shut the pressure door. Knox smiled and personally sealed it shut. "Lochley, they're inside. Give us thirty seconds to get the hell out of here, then let them eat vacuum!"

"You've got it, Chief," said Lochley, who turned to a tech. "Blow open space doors in thirty seconds from my mark...Mark!"

Knox heard her say that over the link and he called out to his troops. "Pull back quick! She's gonna blow!" They laughed as they hustled and ran to put as much space between them and the warehouse, just in case the pressure doors were breached.

The Jem'hadar soldiers were in position for an attack when a sudden rush of wind came over them. They hadn't planned on this, and they were without any kind of gear to protect them from the vacuum of space. Within four minutes, all of the soldiers were dead.

Hours later, after the battle had ended, Lochley joined her security chief Zach Allen in the warehouse as officers were clearing out the bodies. "Damn, you know you'd think you'd see it all with all the years I've pulled here.," said Allen.

"Tell me about it! This place is a magnet for trouble," Lochley replied. "But we survived, after a fashion."

In his billet, Knox and Laurence were making passionate love to each other. Their billet mates had scrammed for the night, heading out into the station to party. As she was riding Knox, she said to him, "Ain't nothin' hotter than screwin' after puttin' your life on the line, eh babe?"

Knox pulled her down to kiss her and said, "Nope, nothin' hotter than that!" They made love late into the night, not caring if anybody came into their billet.


	92. Chapter 92

**Chapter 92 **

**Rapture of Light**

**On board Babylon 4 **

**April 17, 2378**

Valen was in command and control and watched as the Shadows and Vorlons began to take out the enemy ships. It was a miracle that Deep Space Nine had held out as long as they did. They were still taking the brunt of the attack from the Jem'Hadar battle cruisers, but the cruisers now had to defend themselves from the station's defenders.

"They've got reinforcements coming in. Shadows and Vorlons moving to intercept. It looks like they're sending in as many ships as they can to try and drive off our forces.," said Catherine Sakai from her station.

"Good. Have they made any move to come after us," said Valen.

Marcus looked at his console and said, "No, but the Breen and the Tholians are moving towards us in an attack vector. _Wildstar_ and her fleet are attacking their rear."

"Tell them to peel off and let us handle them. DS9 needs their help more than we do."

"Yes, Entil'zha.," Marcus said and moved to comply.

_Wildstar_ soon moved away from the rear of the fleet and back towards DS9. The Tholians and Breen didn't even notice as they began to move towards the station. Valen smiled as he watched them come closer and closer to the station.

"When do you want to open fire on them," asked Marcus.

"Wait until you see the whites of their eyes.," said Valen.

The Minbari in the room looked puzzled at the expression, but Marcus got the hint. Jokingly he said, "You Americans," as he began to activate the defense grid.

Valen laughed at the joke and strode over to Marcus' station to watch as the ships approached the station. "They know not what they're in for! Prepare phasers, pulse lasers, and particle beams, and load torpedo tubes!"

"Yes, Entil'zha," said a Minbari tech. Within moments, the defense grid was fully armed and ready to fire.

"Enemy at fifty clicks and closing.," called out Sakai.

"That's close enough. Open fire," ordered Valen.

The station's defensive grid opened fire, and a menagerie of beams criss-crossed the space between Babylon 4 and the enemy ships. The beams hit and the enemy ships were torn apart, and further damage was done when the torpedoes slammed home. The Tholians tried in vain to flank the station, but they were dispatched just as quickly.

The battle settled down hours later, and what was left of the enemy fled the Bajoran system. The _Wildstar_, battered and bruised from battle, docked on an upper pylon, the only one operational on the upper section. One was pretty much destroyed and the other had been hit as well.

Ashcroft and Kira gathered in the general's office in station ops to go over the battle. "How many dead here on the station?"

"Forty-four. We got very lucky. How about you?"

"Not so lucky. Two hundred and thirteen, most because we lost two of our five Defiant-class ships. I'll be composing plenty of 'I deeply regret to inform you' messages tonight."

"Yeah, I'll be doing the same thing here. So, how are you and Litinova doing?"

Ashcroft looked up and said, "How did you know about that?"

Kira laughed and said, "Well, there was the whole body language thing you two had when you came on board. I've been around enough humans to pick it up. You know, we Bajorans are a lot like you humans when it comes to stuff like that!"

"Yeah, well, I can guarantee you almost all the Earth women who've ever been pregnant would gladly take the five month pregnancy and the sneezing over the nine months of morning sickness."

Back on Babylon 4, Valen entered the quarters of an old friend. He noticed that the encounter suit was off to the side, and that the being was behind the glazed-over barrier. "You know, Kosh, you don't have to hide your true form to me."

Being seen like this by someone is tiring, and the day's events have worn at me., said Kosh.

Valen asked, "So, any idea if this is the end of the war?"

_The end is nearing, but not here yet. The hardest days are almost upon you. The enemy has been playing their pieces well. Their final moves are almost at hand._

"Will they attack Earth?"

_Yes._

"When?"

_Soon._

"Will it be the one here, or my Earth?"

_I do not know._

Valen looked puzzled. "You mean that?"

_Yes._

Valen walked out of Kosh's quarters and was met in the hallway by Marcus. "So, what did the sage o' the age say?" Valen shrugged his shoulders and said, "You know the Vorlons, they don't say much of anything, but I did get the feeling that we are nearing an end to this conflict."

Marcus' eyebrows shot up and he said, "Really? So victory is within our reach, then?"

Sighing, Valen said, "I don't know. He said, 'The hardest days are almost upon you'. Wonder what he means by that?"

"More deaths, especially to those whom we are closest too. That's what worries me. Who else are we going to lose in this war?"

"I know, Marcus. War is hell. Truer words have never been said, and I get the feeling that we're about to go crashing through the seventh level of it soon!"


	93. Chapter 93

**Chapter 93 **

**Plotting Against Paradise**

**On board a Ragendora command ship **

**April 20, 2378**

The blade sliced through Morden's neck and his head hit the deck with a thud. The supreme leader of the Ragendoran, Godoran, was furious at the way that his forces had battled their bitter enemies, the Legendora. He had tired of the alliances, and he had decided to deal with them once and for all.

"Once we are done destroying Earth, we'll go after the Breen and the Tholians. They don't deserve to live after bungling the attack on Deep Space Nine the way they did. Then we go back and wipe out the Cardassians and anyone else who has opposed us in this universe!"

His generals saluted him and they went off to attend to their ships. Godoran stomped off to his quarters, but not before kicking the head of Morden across the room, to join that of Justin, whom he had dispatched earlier.

Godoran looked over the plans for the attack on Earth, and some of his good mirth started to seep back into him. _The fools have no idea that all of our battles up until now have been leading to this final one. They have no idea that with this move against their pathetic Earth, we will win this war once and for all!_

He was angered at the thought of his ancestors, the Legendora. For thousands of years, they had been an annoyance to him as well as the other Ragendora, what with the Legendora smug sense of superiority and their weak spirituality. He thought them as wimps, unable to take their rightful place as rulers of space and time. That was why he had led the revolt against them, and his leadership had led them to conquest after conquest, only to be thwarted by the Legendora.

He couldn't tell his generals or his top aides of what he knew: his race was in trouble. All across the universes and dimensions, war raged, and the tide was turning against his race. They had already lost it in hundreds of different universes, and all they had left was this final campaign. In his heart of hearts, he knew that the war was lost and that the hope of victory had been extinguished. Now, all he wanted was vengeance, and the Humans on Earth were the perfect targets for one last spasm of his rage. If they could succeed there, then he could possibly go onto other planets, but even he began to wonder if it were possible.

He knew what the Legendora were planning. They were tired of existence and wanted to end their immortality and pass on to whatever lie beyond death. That was what sparked his revolt in the first place, and he had inspired so many others to join with him. The Legendora had only lived to stop him and his kind from their domination, and now it seemed like they were on the verge of defeating him.

He could just easily surrender and join them in extinguishing his life force, but he couldn't stomach that. His race was a proud one, and he would not yield them easily to simply pass away quietly. No, if they wanted him to die, they would have to kill him and all the other Ragendora.

He tired of his corporeal form, so he destabilized himself and became a wide field of dark golden light inside his quarters. He must rest now, for the final stages of their seemingly fruitless campaign were upon them.

**On board EAS _Freedom_**

**April 21, 2378**

It had come to him in a dream, and he sprang up out of bed and went to the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror after washing his face and pondered what the dream had been about.

Captain Twanissa Hudson turned over in bed and her arm fell across where her lover, President Garrison Hollifield should have been. The absence awoke her and she looked around to try and find him. Seeing the light coming from the bathroom, she got up from the bed and made her way to where he was.

"Bad dreams, my love," she asked.

He turned to her and gave her a sleepy grin, then his face fell back to a grimace. "They were bad, but I don't know if they were dreams."

"What do you mean?"

He sighed and said, "I don't know, but I think that Genon would."

Hours later, Genon arrived on a transport and he made his way to the conference room. Hollifield didn't beat around the bush. "I had a vision last night." Genon nodded and sat down in the chair, and Hollifield began to tell of what he saw.

When he was done, Genon said, "I think you are right. Your telepathic abilities seem to have connected with them. I have had some similar visions as well, but our telepathic link to the Ragendora hasn't been as strong as it once was for centuries now."

Hollifield nodded his head and spun the small globe of the Earth on his desk. "I think they're desperate."

"I agree with you. They've been losing wars across the universes and dimensions and their forces are becoming decimated. The toll has been terrible, though. Billions dead, worlds destroyed...it's such a shame."

"I know. I have the same feelings like I had during the final stages of the Shadow War. It was like, I felt we were close to victory, but also at the edge of defeat as well."

He remembered back to watching the vids of the Vorlon planet killers as well as their Shadow counterparts, and it was if he were seeing the very fabric of everything he knew and believed in being ripped to shreds. He thought back to what it was like before the Minbari War, and he could see the innocence in his eyes. That person died so long ago, and what he was now was far removed from the idealistic young man he once was.

They finished their conversation and he began the work of putting together a meeting to go over the plans to protect Earth. He spent a sleepless forty-eight hours in conferences with a myriad of allies. Wildstar, Ashcroft, Sheridan, and so on and so forth. Finally, he ended his last secured communication and slumped down into his chair, dozing off.

He awoke to someone rubbing his shoulders. It was Hudson. "Twa, sorry! I've been so busy!"

"Shhhhhh...It's all right, love! Come to bed and rest. We've got to catch up on sleep."

They took off their clothes and fell into bed, both too tired to make love that night. "So how long until the storm hits," asked Hudson as she was closing her eyes.

"It won't be long now.," replied Hollifield, but before he could add anything to that, he fell asleep.


	94. Chapter 94

**Chapter 94 **

**Paradise Under Siege**

**On board USS _Wildstar_**

**In orbit around Pluto **

**May 2, 2378**

Captain Stephen Ashcroft knew that it was going to be a long day when Starfleet Command indicated that the Ragendoran fleet entered the Sol System from four different directions, and each fleet looked massive. The Alliance of Light had expected this, so all their forces had come into the system to meet the enemy for what appeared to be the final confrontation. He looked at the fleet on his tactical display and sighed. "This isn't going to be easy, is it," he said to his exec,Commander Katrina Litinova.

She nodded and said, "No, sir, but nothing's been easy in this war. Why expect the final act to be a walk in the park?"

As they sat on the bridge, Ashcroft pondered hailing the enemy to tell them that coming into the system would result in their fleet being attacked, but he mentally shrugged and dismissed the idea. Why state the obvious, he thought to himself.

The Alliance of Light had split their forces several ways. The Earth Defense Fleet, led by the _Yamato_, were joined by Deslok's remaining Gamilon ships in a ring around Earth, as a last resort. Earth Alliance President Garrison Hollifield, on board the _Freedom_, commanded a fleet of Starfleet ships as well as Earth Alliance ships, and they were located just inside the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.  
Interstellar Alliance President John Sheridan commanded a fleet between Jupiter and Saturn, with all the fleets having a mixture of Borg ships and Legendoran vessels.

Ashcroft knew that the tactical plan was their best way to defeat the enemy: hit them with wave after wave of attacks and decimate their forces so whatever they had left if and when they entered Earth space could be handled by the EDF forces, whose wave motion guns could take out the enemy. They expected the enemy to bring in their planet killer to make one final attack on Earth, and they needed to take it out at all costs.

Lieutenant Commander Belinda Montgomery called out to her captain. "Sir, enemy fleet is within firing range. Sensors indicate they are powering up weapons."

Ashcroft nodded and said simply, "Time to end this, one way or another! Engage the enemy at will, Lieutenant Commander!"

The smaller fleet of Ashcroft engaged the larger Ragendoran fleet, splitting into two groups and attacking the flanks. What the enemy did not know was what awaited them when they crossed Pluto's orbit of the sun, and Ashcroft impatiently waited as his ship was rocked by blasts from enemy fire. He has spoken to Sheridan about a tactic he had used during the Minbari war, as well as the Shadow War to greater effect. It was sporting, mind you, but was hadn't been sport since the First American Civil War.

He locked his eyes onto the tactical display, letting Litinova and Montgomery handle the battle. He had immense confidence in their abilities, especially Montgomery. If they won the war and somehow managed to survive the battle, he intended to resign his commission and recommend that Montgomery be promoted to Captain and take command of the _Wildstar_, jumping the Commander rank altogether. He had wanted to give her a field commission to the rank, but he hadn't had the chance to put through the paperwork.

"Captain, we just lost the _Hephastus_ and the _Yorkshire_! How much longer until they get to the minefield," asked a desperate Litinova, and part of Ashcroft was hurt to see his love's voice quivering with fear. Montgomery's voice added to his distress when she said, "Sir, shields down to 60 percent and dropping! Automatic targeting on aft phaser banks is out, working to fix. Outer hull breach! Sealing!"

"Thirty seconds until they get to the minefield. Prepare to activate mines," said Ashcroft, who took a moment to squeeze Litinova's hand. He leaned into her and said, "If this is the end, my love, then at least we're together!" She wiped away a tear and patted his hand, giving him a secretive smile as they continued to take hit after hit from the enemy fleet.

"Ten seconds until they hit the minefield. Activate mines," he ordered. The mines were a cobbling of technologies: cloaked mines that Commander Ben Sisko had used during the Dominion War, but with much larger antimatter yields. Sheridan had donated as many fusion bombs as he could scrape together to serve as the detonator for the antimatter. No one knew how much yield this minefield would have, but Ashcroft instinctively knew that even this would not stop the enemy completely.

The enemy was five seconds away from the minefield, and the cloak dropped on the mines. The ships could not turn away from the field in time, as inertia had them locked in on their course. Ashcroft thought of his first wife and son, as well as his second wife, as he waited for the fleet to enter the field. As they entered it, they took no notice of the mines, as they were not to be detonated until Ashcroft gave the order.

The last ship entered the field, and Ashcroft gave his love one final squeeze. "Detonate the mines," he ordered, and Montgomery pressed the button on her console to set them off. The screen went white, and Ashcroft was knocked to the floor, hitting his head on it and knocking himself out.

Later, he awoke in sickbay, with his first sight being that of Commander Litinova. She smiled and turned to one of the nurses, saying, "He's awake!" He felt like he'd gone on a bender like he did back in college, only this time it was far worse.

"What's our status," he asked.

Litinova composed herself and said, "We've lost 300 crew members, sir, along with 400 wounded."

He saw the expression on her face and asked, "There's something more, isn't there?"

She didn't want to tell him, but he had to know. "Captain, Montgomery's dead. She was killed when her console blew up in front of her."

Tears came to his eyes, as he knew that Montgomery had considered him a mentor to her. They had been close, especially after he had helped save her life years ago when their shuttlecraft was ambushed and forced down on a planet during a journey to a diplomatic conference. She had been an unsure ensign back then, but he saw limitless potential in her, and took her under his wing. With his guidance, she had grown into an outstanding tactical officer, and was destined for a captaincy of her own.

Now, though, as she lay in the ship's morgue, he couldn't believe it. "Damn," he said softly as Litinova put an arm over his shoulder. He focused back on the task at hand. "What's the status of the enemy," he asked.

"We took out 85 percent of the ships in the blast, and severely damaged another seven percent. They broke through on the other lines, though. Sheridan's fleet is ready to meet them, and Alex Wildstar's brought up his ship, the _Andromeda_, to assist, as well as the rest of his fleet.

"There's something else, sir. Sensors indicate that they have brought in the planet killer, and it's located in the Oort Cloud."

Ashcroft nodded, then asked, "How are repairs going?"

"We'll be back in operation within 24 hours. The fleet's giving us protection just in case we are attacked again. Orders are to proceed to Earth and assemble the remaining ships in Mars orbit."

He nodded again and got up from his seat, looking down on his fallen protégé. "Don't worry, Belinda. We'll win this one for you," he said as he touched her shoulder. They quietly walked back to the bridge, trying their best to focus on the job at hand. If they survived, then they could attend to the funeral.


	95. Chapter 95

**Chapter 95 **

**Paradise on the Edge**

**On board the _Freedom_**

**Just inside the Asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars **

**May 5, 2378**

President Garrison Hollifield came onto the bridge and Major Twanissa Hudson came to attention, as did the rest of the crew. "At ease," he ordered, and the crew went back to their duties. He addressed Hudson, "What's the status of Sheridan's fleet?"

"They've taken heavy losses, but Sheridan and the _Liberty _are still in the fight. Major Ivanova is slightly wounded, but she's still in command. She took some shrapnel in her left shoulder."

"Lemme guess, they had to practically drag her off the bridge."

Hudson nodded, "You know her well, but Sheridan ordered her to medlab and she complied. She's fine now. No major damage."

Hollifield felt an overwhelming sense of relief and it caught him by surprise. "What about the _Andromeda_?"

Hudson shook her head and said, "They're barely space worthy, but most of the crew is alive. Captain Alex Wildstar has taken her back into Earth orbit with the rest of his fleet. Admiral Avatar has recalled all EDF ships to help bolster Earth's defenses, and Starfleet has agreed with the move."

"Good idea. We'll need those ships if we can't hold them off, and I fear we might not be able to.," replied Hollifield.

"As much as I hate to agree with you, Mr. President, I think you may be right. We'll put up one hell of a fight though!"

"Damn straight we will. One thing I can always count on is Earthforce officers stepping up when things look tough."

All the officers seemed to straighten up in their seat at the compliment, and it heartened him to see them react so well to the pride he had in them. He remembered long ago to the time when he was on The Line, the final battle between the Minbari and Earth. His squadron had been wiped out within seconds, and he was barely able to hold off the Minbari fighters. He spied Jeffery Sinclair's fighter making a suicide run at a huge Minbari cruiser. It was then that Hollifield knew that his life was over, and he wanted to give one last punch to the face of the enemy.

He set course and formed up behind Sinclair's Starfury, intending to take out the main gun port. He then saw a flash of light, and when his vision came back, he saw them towing Sinclair's fighter into their docking bay. His jaw clenched and he put his own fighter on afterburners, intending to keep the Minbari from taking Sinclair hostage. However, his own fighter was hit with the same beam and he soon found himself powerless to stop them from bringing his ship aboard.

What followed was a brutal interrogation, and he steadfastly held his silence despite the torture they inflicted upon him. That all stopped when he watched one of the robed figures hold up a triluminary to Sinclair, and there was an audible gasp from all the aliens in the room at the sight. His telepathy had picked up that something monumental had happened, but what it was, he had no idea.

Others came into the room, and he thanked the God in which he seldom believed in for his ability to learn all the dialects of the Minbari language. He'd asked Mollari for any info on the language back when he was captain of the presidential guard, and the Centauri envoy had given him more than he could have hoped for.

He learned later as they were trying to figure out what to do with him. He had made a bargain: in exchange for his life, he would keep the secret that Jeffery Sinclair was Valen, their prophesized messiah, and would keep an eye on him so that he fulfilled the prophesy that he did not know he was destined to fulfill.

Now, decades later, the universe had been turned upside down, but he was once again on the line, defending Earth. It was his solemn duty, and sacred vow, to honor those who were lost in that battle by heeding the call to serve when Earth was in its direst hour. He read the reports coming in over the shoulder of Major Hudson, and it wasn't looking good.

"They've broken through, sir. Sheridan's fleet is falling back in with us. And sir, we've lost the _Enterprise-E_.," said one of the techs on the bridge.

He looked at Hudson and they both had the same expression of shock on their face. "Inform Starfleet of the situation, then proceed to the prearranged staging point with the rest of the fleet. I'm going down to contact Sheridan and see what we can do from here.," he told Hudson.

She nodded her head and he left the bridge, heading to his quarters to talk with Sheridan. Sheridan was waiting for him on screen when he entered the room. "Garrison, we've gotten our asses kicked at Saturn. Half my fleet's gone, but we've taken a lot of their sting out of them.They're bringing in reinforcements, and Starfleet just sent word that the planet killer's on the move."

Hollifield let out a long breath, then he said, "How's Ivanova?"

"She's stable. I sent her back to Earth to command one of the Whitestars to give her more time to recoup. She's with Marcus."

He understood why he did it. "Thanks, John."

"They should be together if this is the end. Let's hope it's not."

"Screw hoping, John. I wanna break my foot off in their collective asses. I didn't live this long to surrender hope, and I'm not about to yield to these bastards. If I gotta die beating them, so be it, but I'm not giving up until I breathe my last breath."

Sheridan's back straightened up, and his face lit up at the inspirational outburst. "Damn, Garrison, you really know how to get under somebody's skin!"

He nodded his head, "John, the Minbari didn't come up with the phrase 'Faith manages' just for fun. I think we should keep that in mind."

They spoke briefly after that, then cut the communication. As he was making his way back to the bridge, the ship was shaken by a blast. He raced up to the bridge, managing to maintain his balance as the ship was violently shaken by further blasts from the enemy.

"Report," he yelled out.

"Sir, the enemy has jumped in behind us! We've...," Hudson said before the console she was standing in front of exploded, throwing her into his arms.

"Medic," he yelled out as he stared in horror as his love was bleeding in his arms. He could sense she was still alive and the wounds were survivable. He gave her over to a couple of medics, then said to them, "If we don't make it, stick her in a life pod. Prep as many as you can and prepare to evac the ship if I give the signal."

He could feel the presence of the massive planet killer in his mind before they informed him of it. He gave one simple order. "Tell the fleet to form a flying wedge. We're going in to take that thing out."

The ships in the fleet formed up around the _Freedom_ and they began to move towards the immense Ragendoran planet killer. The enemy saw the maneuver and began to take out the outer ships as fast as they could.

Commander Sean O'Reilly turned back to the president and said, "Looks like they're on to us, sir! Increasing speed to maximum!"

"Good! We'll use the main guns to take out the device. If we can't do that, we'll ram the bastard."

O'Reilly nodded his head and turned back to his station. Hollifield sat and read the tactical display on the new console that had just been installed. His mind was so focused that he didn't even think of what had happened to the previous console, but part of his mind was worried about Hudson. He shook his head and forced his mind to refocus.

Just as they were getting into position to fire the main guns, a Jem'Hadar attack cruiser made a suicide run at the ship, taking out the front of the _Freedom_. Without it, they could not fire the main guns.

"Damn," Hollifield said as he picked himself off the floor. "O'Reilly, set course for ramming speed!"

All the officers on the bridge looked at each other for a moment, then turned back to their stations. O'Reilly nodded and said, "Aye sir!" Then that's when the injection of tranquilizers hit the president. He never saw it coming, focused as he was. He collapsed into the arms of two med techs, and the commander said, "Place him in the same pod as Hudson, then shoot it out of the ship, along with the others. Get as many people off this ship as you can!"

The tech's dragged the knocked-out president off the bridge, and the commander looked around at his crew. "Continue on course to ram the device," he said, and went back to his station. He took out a picture of his wife, taken at Windsor Castle on their honeymoon not long ago. He put it back in his uniform pocket and helped guide the ship towards its destruction.

Hollifield woke up, not knowing where he was. The first sight he saw was that of Major Susan Ivanova, and the look on her face gave him the news. "The _Freedom_," he asked.

She choked down a sob and said, "It rammed the planet killer and disabled it, but it's still intact. We've gained a lot of time to set up the final battle around Earth. We've called in all the ships we could, so we're as ready as we ever will be."

He tried to get up, but he was still woozy from the tranquilizer and collapsed back down in the bed. "Hudson," he asked.

Ivanova replied, "She's in med bay, in stable condition. She was in the life pod with you, along with several others. You were the only life pod we could pick up. The enemy took out the others."

He nodded and asked again, "Where are we?"

"Orbiting the moon. You're on board Whitestar 233. Doc says you'll be ok in a few hours, so you should be up and at them when the final battle takes place."

"Yeah.," he said, and then he fell back asleep. Ivanova sighed and left the room, heading back to the bridge. Marcus Cole, splendid as always in his Ranger uniform, saw her come onto the bridge and relinquished the command chair, taking the post of the second on the ship. "How's the president," he asked, with concern in his voice.

"He's ok. Hudson will be ok if we survive this. What's the status of the enemy?"

"They've just crossed into Mars space. Our ships are fighting a delaying action to get the bulk of the fleet in position around Earth, and we've been able to get all available ships we can get."

She tightened her lips and nodded, then said, "It won't be long now."

He looked at her and said, "No, it won't."


	96. Chapter 96

**Chapter 96 **

**Paradise Saved**

**On board the _Yamato_**

**LaGrange Point 3, between Earth and the moon **

**May 6, 2378**

Derek Wildstar accompanied his fiancee back to the bridge and led her to the station beside him on the bridge, which had been reconfigured to allow her to perform her duties from there. Her own station, set behind and to the right of Wildstar, had exploded from a power surge after the bridge was hit. She had been slightly wounded, as had Wildstar, who now sported some stitches above his right eye from a small piece of shrapnel.

"What's our status, Venture," said Wildstar. Venture sat at the station beside Wildstar, opposite that of Nova's new station. He looked at him from his pilot's station and said, "We're in position, Derek, and it looks like we'll have to act. The fleet's taking a terrible pounding,  
and the planet killer has moved past Mars. It'll be here within twelve hours!"

Wildstar nodded and was about to order the ship to move into position when a Jem'Hadar attack cruiser slammed into the bow of the ship. Those standing on the bridge were knocked to the floor, and those seated were almost thrown from their chairs.

"Holy...! Those bastards did a kamikaze job on our wave motion gun! Sandor, take a repair team down and try and clear the nozzle of the gun before the planet killer gets here," said Wildstar.

"Right, Wildstar.," replied Stephen Sandor, _Yamato_'s chief science officer and engineer. He rushed off the bridge and headed down to don a space suit and try and clear the remains of the Jem'Hadar ship from the nozzle.

Ashcroft hailed Wildstar, saying, "We just got a very nasty surprise: those Jem'Hadar have cloaking technology, so that's why they've been able to sneak up on us. They've started taking out all ships with wave motion guns. We're shielding _Andromeda_ as best we can so we can have one dog in the fight, and _Yamato II_ is nearby and can shield you."

Wildstar replied, "Fitting, I guess. I'll contact Captain Suarez and send him my regards."

Ashcroft cut the communication and leaned back in his chair. A new tactical officer, Octavio Montange, stood behind him, and he felt the missing presence of Montgomery. He shook his head and focused again at his own tactical display, spying a squadron of Jem'Hadar cruisers making a run on the flagship of Admiral Avatar, the _Phoenix_. "Send our five _Defiant_-class ships to help aide in the protection of the admiral's ship, then launch fighters. Take us to ten kilometers in front of _Andromeda_'s bow and raise shields."

On board the _Defiance_, President Hollifield sat in the chair usually occupied by the ship's Scottish commanding officer, Captain Shirley Connelly. She didn't object in the least, as the president had been a friend of her father's, who had been lost at the Battle of the Line. He watched as the Ragendoran ships drew ever closer to his firing range. Whitestars surrounded the ship, including the one which had picked up his life pod.

Connelly turned to the president and said, "They'll be in range in one minute, sir!"

"Launch fighters! Open fire the second they are within firing range and raise shields. We'll leave the planet killer to _Yamato_ and the rest of the EDF forces."

"Sir, we're getting a report that _Yamato_'s been damaged and may be out of the fight. Jem'Hadar fighters have started making suicide runs on the EDF forces."

Hollifield had an idea spring to life in his head, and he ordered, "Hail Deslok"

Deslok nodded to President Hollifield as he cut the link. He turned to his aid, Talan, and said, "My redemption may finally come at last!"

"Sir," asked Talan.

"Raise the Deslok cannon and begin powering it up," he ordered, leaving Talan guessing as to what had been said.

Hollifield leaned back into his seat, and the redheaded Captain Connelly stroked a wisp of hair away from her face as she asked, "Are you sure he will do what you ask?"

"He's in search of a way to atone for what he did to Wildstar's Earth. This is his chance. Who am I to take it away from him?"

"But, sir, if he fires that cannon as close as he needs to get to that planet killer, his ship won't be able to escape in time!"

Hollifield nodded and calmly said, "He knows that, and so does his crew. They'll do the job."

Leader Deslok thought of Starsha as his ship moved into position to fire at the massive planet killer. Outside, his own ships were doing heroic work in protecting his ship, and they were getting decimated for their efforts. He was thirty seconds from firing on the planet killer, and he took his position at the trigger of the Deslok cannon. In his sights was the massive device sent to destroy Earth, and he had the perfect target. The main orifice from which the largest beam began to open, and he set his target right in the middle of the aperture.

As power reached its peak in the gun, he thought of his lost homeworld one last time as he pulled the trigger. His last words were, "For Gamilon!"

The beam shot out of the cannon and entered the opening, heading straight for the massive power core of the infernal device. The beam hit the core and caused a chain reaction, blowing the device up from the inside out. Deslok's ship tried in vain to escape, but when the planet killer went up, the shock wave took out his ship, as well as the rest of the Gamilon fleet.

Wildstar watched the explosion from the bridge and shuddered. His once enemy had saved Earth, but had paid the ultimate price for his efforts. He looked down at the bow of the ship, and saw that there would have been no way to clear the wreckage from the suicidal Jem'Hadar cruiser in time to use their wave motion gun.

Eager called over to him, "Wildstar! The enemy is retreating! They're pulling out!"

On board the _Defiance_, Hollifield got the same news. "Where are they headed?"

"Looks like the asteroid field, sir. Orders?"

"Contact Starfleet Command and ask them to send as many ships to pursue them. We'll be doing likewise. I don't want those bastards leaving the solar system alive!"

"Yes sir," she said, and went to send off the transmissions.

On board his cruiser, Godoron, the supreme leader of the Ragendora, was apoplectic and enraged. He knew he had no more planet killers left, and all the ships he had left were being defeated one by one. He had sent out the order to retreat to Jupiter, and he was trying to think of one last way to make the enemy pay. _If I am to fall, then I shall take them all with me, he thought as he began to concoct one last desperate plan._


	97. Chapter 97

**Chapter 97 **

**The Turning Tide**

**On board _Defiance_**

**Inside the orbit of Venus **

**May 8, 2378**

"So they're trying a suicide run on the sun? Do they have some idea of how to get it to go nova," asked Connelly.

"I don't know, but that's what I am assuming. It's what I picked up when I scanned the ship. Their leader wants to take us out, and that seemed to be the gist of what he was thinking."

Connelly shook her head and said in her Scottish lilt, "How can you read his mind from so far away?"

He snorted and said, "Ask the Vorlons. They're the ones that made me this way. I don't know how I do it, but I do. Set course to intercept!"

She nodded her head and said, "Aye sir!" and went to her chair.

The EDF ships deployed with their ships showing their broadsides to the enemy, allowing them to aim all their main guns directly at them. On the other side, the remaining Starfleet, Klingon, and Romulan ships awaited the enemy with shields raised and weapons charged. In the middle, the Earthforce ships, along with the Minbari, Narn, Centauri, and the other members of the Interstellar Alliance, were poised to go head to head with the enemy. Interspersed among all three sides were the Legendoran ships, ready to finally defeat their prodigal brethren once and for all.

Godoran looked at the gauntlet he faced and said to his people, "Let us destroy them all!", knowing full well that he didn't have near the force to do so. This was a suicidal run, and his people knew it, but they could not stomach living and seeing the Legendora triumphant.  
"Forward," cried Godoran, and the fleet made its last advance on the enemy, with all guns firing.

The EDF ships fired their main guns, and the beams from the shock cannons sliced into the ships guarding the inner heart of the Ragendoran fleet. Jem'Hadar ship after Jem'Hadar ship tried in vain to take out the fleet, but none got close. The last Jem'Hadar ship was destroyed by a volley from the _Andromeda_, and the last ally of the Ragendora had been beaten.

Genon, the Legendoran envoy, looked on from the bridge of the Minbari cruiser _Vidora_, standing by Delenn. "It's like watching a funeral. I wish we did not have to do this, but they have chosen their path."

Delenn nodded and continued to look on with Genon as the battle raged on. She thought of the Battle of the Line so long ago, and hoped that all she had done since then had been able to atone for her role in the Earth Minbari War. Sheridan still did not know that it was her, lying at the head of her fallen mentor's body, who had cast the vote that almost wiped out the human race in her universe. She had knelt down at Dukhat, trying to drag him away. She cried out for help, and he said something to her with his dying breath. Then he expired and one of her fellow Grey Council members had come up to her and asked what they should do."Animals! Brutals! They deserve no mercy! Follow them to their base and strike them down!" It was the beginning of the holy war, and it still was the scarlet letter on her soul, and would be until the day she went to the sea of stars, in the place where no Shadows fall.

She looked again and saw that the Ragendora were being decimated by the flanking fire, but were making their way to the Interstellar Alliance fleet. The first ship came into range and she gave out the order, one, which she hoped, put her one step closer onto the path of redemption:"Fire!"

The ISA fleet fired at will on the Ragendoran, and it was not long until Godoran's ships were but a mere handful. He saw the_ Defiance_ and felt the presence of someone with telepathic abilities. He decided that he would ram his ship into it in one last spasm of spite. "Ram that ship," he yelled out, and his crew complied with it, speeding up towards the ship.

The _Defiance_'s main guns had been repaired enough to allow them to fire the main gun, and as it powered up, Hollifield thought that this was like the final battle in the Shadow War at Coriana VI: the turning point of history, where things would never be the same again. A new age was about to come to all the known universes, one where the Ragendoran would not have a say in. He looked directly at the last approaching Ragendoran ship and calmly gave the order to fire. Energy glowed at the tips of the three rear fins of the ship, then they streaked down to the center shaft at the bow of the ship, collecting there before firing out at the approaching ship. The massive energy struck the ship's main firing port and went through it with ease, striking the core quickly and consuming the ship. The ship exploded into a fireball, spraying debris away from the blast's center.

The Ragendora were now extinct.


	98. Chapter 98

**Chapter 98 **

**In The Aftermath**

**Provisional Starfleet Command Headquarters **

**New Forest City, North Carolina **

**May 22, 2378**

The war had been over for two weeks, but the aftermath was just beginning. The Romulan Empire and the Klingon Empire were in shambles after the destruction of their respective homeworlds. Their leaders worked day after day with Federation diplomats to come up with a solution to their problems.

In Crowe Park that afternoon, Ambassador Spock, Klingon Chancellor Gowron, and Klingon Emperor Kah'less walked around and discussed the matter at hand.

"How can we simply join the Federation and maintain our culture? Our heritage is important to us, as you know Ambassador! If we decide to join, it would mean the end of our warrior heritage!"

Spock replied, "Chancellor, this is a pivotal moment in history, and I think that the Narn Ambassador, G'Kar, said it best at the meeting the other day: 'Change is a constant in the universe. One cannot swim against its tide and hope to survive.' I respectfully suggest that the Klingon people who have survived this war will be able to adapt to their new lives in the Federation."

Kah'less said, "It will be hard to adapt, but we are Klingons, and we can adapt. We face many struggles ahead, Chancellor, and I know not where they will lead our people, but as long as they live, then I am satisfied."

Gowron nodded and acquiesced, "It is agreed. The Klingon Empire will join the Federation."

Spock nodded and escorted the gentlemen back towards the provisional Federation headquarters. Looking from a hillside at them, President Hollifield and Major Hudson were enjoying a picnic lunch.

"So what did they say," she asked laughingly.

"Now you should know better to ask me a question like that," he said in mock reproachment. Her smile didn't waver and he submitted to her charming interrogation. "The Klingons are going to join the Federation."

"Well, so much for something racier. That was a given, as far as I'm concerned."

"True, but the Klingons are a lot like the Narns, in that they are a proud race. Both had to adapt to a changing universe, though, and they've been the better for it."

"So now that the war is over with, what's to become of the rift?"

Hollifield shrugged and said, "I don't know. We're not sure if we can seal it or not. We may not be able to anyway. Best to leave it as it, I say."

"I agree. I'll miss all the people I've met between Starfleet, as well as the EDF. Speaking of which, what's to become of them?"

"The EDF will be decommissioned and they will be integrated into the Interstellar Alliance. It was the choice of the crews. We'll have to discuss what to do with their ships, especially _Yamato_."

Hudson snuggled closer to Hollifield and asked, "So when do you want to get married?"

He smiled and said, "Well, let's get back to Earth...our Earth, mind you...and we'll see."

Miles away, at the Cathedral of the Fallen, a funeral service was being held for all those Starfleet personnel who were lost in the war. Captain Ashcroft sat next to the family of Belinda Montgomery, with Commander Litinova at his side. He still missed the blonde haired young woman who had been so eager to do her duty. She had been such a great officer and friend, and her loss hurt him as much as the loss of his first two wives and his only son did.

After the service was over with, they walked out of the cathedral. Ashcroft spoke to the father of his former tactical officer, Matthew Montgomery, who was dabbing his eyes with his handkerchief.

"She was a fine officer, Mr. Montgomery. One of the best I ever served with. I was planning to get her promoted to captain before her death, and I just wanted you to know that I intend to get her that promotion posthumously."

Mr. Montgomery nodded his head and said, "Thank you, Captain. I never wanted her to join Starfleet, but I knew she was where she wanted to be when I last saw her and she talked about how much she loved the crew, the ship, and you. You were like a second father to her."

"I did the best I could as a mentor. I had a son once, but he was lost long ago. Now that I think about it, it feels like I've lost a child."

The two men embraced and chatted some more, then the Montgomerys made their way home. Ashcroft and Litinova walked down Main Street in the Old Town section of the city. They stopped in front of the Burnt Chimney monument and looked over the ancient small town.

"Do you reckon that those who used to call this their Main Street would react if we told them this story," Ashcroft asked.

"Probably not. A place like this was more ingrained in the past than the future.," Litinova replied.

"True, and speaking of the future...," Ashcroft said, and he got down on one knee. "Will you marry me?"

Litinova knew it was coming, but not this soon. Her eyes welled with tears and she managed to squeak out a "yes". They embraced and held each other for a long time there, before finally heading to a local restaurant to celebrate.

Several thousand miles away, at a small church in Juneau, the body of Will Riker was formally buried. Tom Riker and his fiancée, Ro Laren, looked on as the body was lowered into the ground. Deanna Troi was emotionless, numbed by the loss. She had changed a lot since last he saw her. She was now a part of what was called the new Borg, as were Picard and Crusher.

After the burial, he walked over to Troi. "So this is goodbye?"

"No, but it is so long. We'll be ok. I'm looking forward to the challenge of learning with what I can do with my new abilities."

"So where are you going?"

Troi turned to Picard and she nodded at him. Picard took the question and answered it. "We're taking the _Yamato_ back to her own universe, where we will try and convert Mars into a arable world. Once there, we intend to populate the place and go from there. But what is to become of you two?"

Tom Riker looked at his wife-to-be and said, "We're going to get married soon, then head out to the DMZ and live out on the frontier. I think it's long since time to settle down."

Back at Federation headquarters, Queen Starsha, Alex Wildstar, Valen, Catherine Sakai, and Benjamin Sisko were still seated after their last meeting with the Legendora. "When do they plan to go to Iscandar again," asked Sisko.

"Day after tomorrow. I've given them full access to the planet.," Starsha said.

"You sure about this," Valen asked her.

Starsha nodded her head and said, "My world is dead. Sasha and I are the last of our race, and we can't live there forever. It's better to let the Legendora have it and take it with them to whatever lies beyond."

Sakai asked Wildstar, "So when is your brother's wedding?"

"Dunno. It'll be soon, though, because they want to settle down and finally have a family. I'm looking forward to being an uncle."

Aboard their ship, Genon and Rigela looked down at Earth. "I wonder once we pass on if they'll be all right," said Rigela.

Genon said, "They will be. What I have learned of the younger races is that, despite their faults, their strengths more than make up for it. I sometimes wonder if they'll surpass all that we have done."

Rigela nodded and said, "Are you ready to proceed?"

"Yes. It's time for us to lay down our burdens. When they are ready to depart, we'll head to Bajor and enter the wormhole."


	99. Chapter 99

**Chapter 99**

**To The End of the Beginning**

**Iscandar**

**Time Unknown**

They all came to see them off. The Wildstars, Sheridans, Hollifields,Ashcrofts, and the rest. There was a sense of sadness among the younger races, as this was the passing of the torch, and the departure of a race that had been around since the virtual beginning of time.

All the Legendora has assembled here. There were not as many as there used to be, as the constant wars with the Ragendora had reduced their number to barely that of a small Earth city. Yet they still were able to help the younger races win the war, and for themselves the right to pass on.

Genon stood in the garden, surrounded by his brothers and sisters. The video link went to all the ships and they watched as the passing of the torch took place.

_"We have been here since the first planets condensed in the first solar systems. We've seen stars come and go, civilizations rise and fall, galaxies form and fall apart._

_"We were once like you: solid, corporeal, and emotional. We outgrew them as we became beings of energy, but we lost something along the way._

_"To you, the younger races, we wish you well. You will still have the occasional war, because conflict is a part of the nature of all sentient life. But it also allows for forgiveness and atonement, and can only help you grow stronger._

_"Know that you will make many mistakes on your own, but so long as you learn from them, you will be able to grow and mature. You are our children, and the time has come for you to become parents and guardians yourselves._

_"May those who come after you remember you as well as you remember us. We are proud of you, and we shall wait for you on the other side."_

The communication ended and the planet began to darken. It was hard to see at first, but the planet began to phase in and out of being.  
Finally, the planet faded away into nothingness. A peaceful way to pass on the torch, and the younger races departed and went their various ways.

Starsha felt an odd sense of peace at seeing her homeworld disappear. She did not know for certain what lie beyond death, but she got the impression that her homeworld was once again alive with those of her race. She had not realized it until this moment that all she had done, and all her friends had done for her, had been to come to this point. She finally could make peace with the pain that losing virtually all of her race had caused her. She looked over at her daughter, Sasha, and smiled. For them, this was a new beginning, along with Sasha's father. They were heading with Derek and Nova to Minbar to live out their lives,serving the Interstellar Alliance.

She looked down from _Yamato_'s bridge at the bow of the ship. Once it was finished with converting Mars into a habitable world in its old universe, it was destined to be permanently docked in Valendor, to serve as a museum to the war. She smiled, thankful that the great spirit that resided in the ship would still be around.

Her smile fell as she thought of the sacrifice of Deslok and the Gamilons. He had done so much evil, yet, at the very end, had atoned for all he had done. She hoped that he had finally found peace.

They came out of Sector 14 and into Babylon 5 space. She knew there was no way to seal the rift, but there was no need to. Draal, the Minbari who controlled the Great Machine on Episilon 3, would see to it that the rift would be used by only those who were approved to, and the prophets in the wormhole would do likewise on their side.

As the space station came into view, she smiled at the thought of meeting Captain Elizabeth Lochley again. She had just become engaged to her love, Matthew Gideon, and she was going to resign her commission and become a member of President Hollifield's government. All the engagements warmed her heart, and she looked forward to the weddings.

With that thought, she went back over to her husband and hugged him. Love, she thought, was why she had done what she did, and it had won the war.


	100. Chapter 100

**Chapter 100 **

**Epilogue**

**Tuzinor, Minbar**

** October 22, 2281**

The funeral for John Sheridan had been completed days earlier, and G'Kar still could not believe the man he'd known for so long was dead. He knew it was coming, as Sheridan had only had 20 years to live after the being Lorien had restored his life after being killed on Z'ha'dum.

G'Kar retired to his room, took up a pen, and began to write again in his latest book. He still did not have a title, but he was sure he would come up with one soon. He was almost finished with it, and he had plans to travel the stars again like he did with Lyta way back when.

He shook his head and thought about all he'd seen in the last ten years, still not believing it all. But, as he'd learned the hard way, it's best to just accept what the universe gives you.

He began to write:

_All are at peace now. Sheridan is gone, and Delenn is taking it hard, as is his son, David. But David will grow to be a fine lad and make his father proud, that I am sure of._

_President Hollifield and his wife just left to return to Earth. They have three children now, and one on the way. Amazing what science can do to prolong the human procreation process these days!_

_Matthew Gideon and Elizabeth Lochley now live in a place called Tahiti. I have no idea where that is, but Garibaldi tells me it's the closest thing to paradise._

_Derek and Nova Wildstar still live in Tuzinor, and they have two wonderful children as well. Alex and his wife Starsha have also had a couple of kids in addition to Sasha, and they have stunned the Minbari with how fast they have grown up. Iscandarian biology is a wonder indeed!_

_Stephen Ashcroft and Katrina Litinova married and gave up their commissions in Starfleet. The loss of Belinda Montgomery still weighs heavily on his heart, but it has eased some now that he has a daughter named after the fallen officer._

_Tom Riker and Ro Laren still live on Mordala, where they have been able to have a family after all, despite the earlier diagnosis that they could not conceive. They named their first son, William, after Tom's lost "brother"._

_Deanna Troi, Jean-Luc Picard, Beverly Crusher, Lyta Alexander, the rest of the telepaths and the technomages all made it to Mars, where the Cosmo-DNA, which still seems like magic to me, converted the world once airless and covered with rusty red dust, into a beautiful world of oceans, trees, and animals._

_Emperor Mollari has passed on, sadly. He was never able to fully atone for his evil committed in the Shadow War, but my hope is that the Centauri gods forgive him anyway. The last ten years saw him at what he should have been: a force for peace. Now, his successor, Emperor Vir Cotto the First, continues the work._

_As for me, I write. I could go back to Narn and let them worship me, but that would only become annoying. This time, I'm making sure this book doesn't get released until I am dead. One thing you can say about the Minbari: that can keep a secret like no other race can._

G'Kar capped his pen and walked onto the balcony, looking up towards Gertalma. He smiled at the small dot of light in the sky and silently thanked G'Quon for letting him live long enough to see such miracles in his lifetime. He had lived long enough to go from being obsessed with the deaths of his enemies to being a force for life, and that world was a symbol of the future to him.

He watched the sun come up over the horizon, and he smiled, thinking of all those who had gone before him. All was peaceful now, and while it would not last forever, he would enjoy it while it lasted.


End file.
